84 Entrance to the Qipps Land Lakes. 



feet in thickness. Out of a portion of this deposit, weighing 

 perhaps three or four pounds, I have prepared and mounted 

 forty-six species of Polyzoa, eight species of Foraminifera, 

 comprising Globigerina, Textularia, Dentalina, Operculina, 

 Rosalina, Rotalia, Nodosaria, three species of Lagena, and 

 siliceous spicules of Tethya and Grantia. After boiling the 

 material, repeated washing and drying, it is then subjected 

 to a bleaching process, consisting of the action of sulphuric 

 acid on bicarbonate of soda in solution. After sifting, the 

 finest portion in which the Foraminifera are found is then 

 macerated in turpentine for a few days, the shells are then 

 selected and placed in Canada balsam on slides heated on a 

 metal plate over a spirit lamp, and the specimens before you 

 will show that it is possible to mount them tolerably trans- 

 parent and free from air bubbles. 



Art. XXII. — Report on the Entrance to the Gipps Land 

 Lakes. By Thomas E. Rawlinson. 



[Bead June 2nd, 1863.] 



Road Engineer's Office, Sale, 14th February, 1863. 

 To the Assistant-Commissioner of Roads and Bridges. 



Sir, — 1. I have the honor to report having placed myself 

 in communication with Mr. District Surveyor Dawson, 

 relative to making a survey of the entrance to the Gipps 

 Land Lakes, as per your instructions of the 30th ultimo. 



2. From the correspondence on the subject, which I have 

 looked over, I learn that you decline to authorise any ex- 

 penses, on the ground of " no funds," and, in answer to my 

 inquiries, Mr. Dawson informs me that he does not feel 

 authorised in incurring any expenses, beyond those absolutely 

 required for his own especial service, under which circum- 

 stances, I have declined to absent myself from the numerous 

 urgent duties of this district, until I have had further in- 

 structions from you on the subject. 



3. I have adopted this course because the proposed visit, 

 under such circumstances, would not place me in any better 

 position to report on the facts than I am in at the present 

 time, for, in July 1861, during the period of my official visit 

 to McLennan's Straits and the Mitchell, I had, through the 

 kindness of Messrs. McArdle and Raphael, an opportunity 

 of making such inspection as the present proposed one 



