138 MUD ISLANDS, PORT PHILLIP BAY 



and the nature of the surface makes the search for evidence 

 difficult and inconclusive. 



References. 

 1879. Maclvor, Ralph W. Emerson, The Chemistry of Agriculture. 8vo. Melb. 

 1879. Shilling'law, John J. Historical Records of Port Phillip, 8vo. Melb. 

 1915. Lee, Ida. The Logbooks of the Lady Nelson, 8vo. Lond. 

 1922. Brooks, C. E. P. The Evolution of Climate. 8vo. Lond. 

 1940. Hills, E. S. Recent Emergence of Shores of Port Phillip Bay. Proc. 

 Roy. Soc. Victoria, LII (N.S.) I, 3 Pig. 2 pi. 



1945. Zeuner, E. The Pleistocene Period, its Climate, Chronology and Faunal 

 Successions. 8vo. Lond. 



1946. Keble, R. A. The Sunklands of Port Phillip Bay and Bass Strait. 

 Mem. Nat. Mus. Vie. 14 (II). 



FLORA OF THE MUD ISLANDS, PORT PHILLIP BAY. 



By James H. Willis, B.Sc, National Herbarium, South Yarra. 



Introduction. 



Although the Mud Islands were visited as early as 1803, no one 

 seems to have made any record of the flora until Mr. A. Gr. Camp- 

 hell paid a visit on December 27, 1906. Mr. Campbell's list of 

 species was published by A. H. E. Mattingley in the Victorian 

 Naturalist XXIV, 12 (May, 1907); it included 20 indigenous 

 plants and 3 naturalized aliens, but no cryptogams. Mr. Matting- 

 ley mentions two other plants, viz. Halopliila ovalis and Mesem- 

 brj/anthemum. aequ Hate rale, not listed by Campbell. 



By courtesy of the Director, National Museum, Melbourne, the 

 writer was enabled to visit this area on November 30, 1945. Only 

 four hours were spent ashore; but in that time he walked com- 

 pletely around the island group, at the same time traversing most 

 of some 200 acres that remain permanently above high tide level. 

 The vascular flora was increased to 30 native and 10 introduced 

 plants, and, although ten of Campbell and Mattingley's record- 

 ings were not observed on this occasion (these are indicated by 

 smaller type in the catalogue that follows), 9 indigenous flowering 

 plants, 7 alien weeds, 9 lichens and 5 mosses were added to their 

 list. 



Principal Plant Communities 



Mud Islands vegetation displays no feature of unusual interest 

 and is, as might be expected, almost identical with that of the 

 neighbouring coastline— e.g. Swan Island, Queenscliff, just over 



