•Ih -/he l'n;{i»ittn No-tuwiift Vol. 7S 



MICROSCOPICAL GROUP 



About rhirty members and friends attended The meeting of July 1H. Mr. 

 Tarlton Kaymeut was the speaker for the evening, his subject being "Tlie 

 Incidence ol Pollen Grains of Heath on Creative Evolution'', A ntimbei t>t 

 niiero-^ln.ks ot poller, grains- and of transverse sections of immature flosvi-r- 

 biids of Ii*miIis were w>cd to illustrate, the. lerture. These were. fircvifotcd Hi 

 various wnvs, some were arranged under microscopes and others projected 

 Ivy Mr. "M-ddloton's micro-projector, Miss Woo-lard projected Kodachromc 

 slides ot various heath*. Mr. Rayrncnt produced evidence, after studying >ome 

 200 species, t.nat ul prttcht nil huatlis are ^elf-poilenatiny. bul that ilioy 

 Wrre evoiviu.gr single- grained pollen cells and would in time require i.n;ect 

 agents, 



Members are advtseU Lkat the slide cabinets are now accessible hi the 

 Club Library roowi, with a catalogue to indicate what is available. Mi'. H. 

 Barret: Is the custodian Mr. W. Evans is to act as Group Treasurer for the 

 collection ot annual sutactiplions horn tliose vho bre unable to attend the 

 Club 5 G ,-, nc/i rd Mocrinsr? Mcobrrs are rrqucsred lo hfirg llieir lavouiiLe 

 opaque or dark ground slides, and some me-ajis of 1 1 liittu luting them, lo the 

 Group Meeting on August 15, ro assist Mr Suell in his demount ration oj -hi- 

 technique of preparing and mour.nng such specimens. 



THE NATIVE WATER WELLS AT 

 MARYBOROUGH, VICTORIA 



By A. Massol-a" 



The ability of thr Aborigine 1 - to avail himself nf ;ill tha* Nfatnre 

 produces fs well known, Thus he is able ro fcuv/we and prosper 

 under conditions which would mean certain death to the European. 

 Foremost amongst hi.-; needs i$ water, and ihe tunny ways he 

 makes. Nature supply it arc almost beyond belief, ftec:s and their 

 Touts,, trogs and dew, alt serving his purpose. Less known is the 

 Aborigine's ability, under certain condition*, to actually build 

 storage tanks lor the cowscivaliou of rain water. 



In the Maryborough district of Victoria three such rock wells 

 are known, one being much larger than the others and apparently 

 of some age. This last one has been known for a long time, but,, 

 although the matter was never in douhf amongst local enthusiasm 

 and members of the Maryborough Field Naturalists Club, ft has not 

 had official recognition as a well. For instance, in the Melbourne 

 Herald of January 22, 1919, there was a note about the "Sucriftaal 

 All at* „ or MysTetious Rock'". Apparently the victims were sacri fired 

 On the rock, and the blood would collect in the wells! Later, m 

 1920. A. S. Kewyou wrote about the "Aboriginal Ptgmenl Quarry'* 

 and stated that an ochre of a rich yellow color was obtained from 

 the sides and bottom ot the pit. 



The present writer first #rw this rock in July 1955. liavinsr heen 

 guided there by Mr. I.. Courtney of Maryborough. At rhe lime 

 1 expressed fiftliiC doubts of it having been done by ahr-rigines, as 

 il seemed altogether too elaborate, in design and omwrucuon, but 



• Dcpa^mcii" of Anthrotxttftgy, NuUona'. Muavum ■?! Victoria. 



