I50 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



(2) " On the Occurrence of a Gum in Echinocavpus (Sloanea) 

 australis, Bentb," hj J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., F.C.S. The characters and 

 composition of a gum which has not been previously recorded from this 

 species, are described. 



(3) " Notes on Australian Economic Botany. No. ii," by J. H. 

 Maiden, F.L.S., F.C.S. In this paper brief descriptions are given of 

 some indigenous foods and food-adjuncts, stock-poisons, essential oils and 

 timbers, either imperfectly known or not previously described. 



(i) "Iii Confirmation of the genus Owenia, so-called," by C. W. 

 De Vis, M.A. The recent acquisition of the greater part of a fairly 

 sound mandible enables the author both to characterise a second species 

 of the genus for which the name Owenia was originally proposed as a 

 slight but appropriate tribute of appreciation of the labours of the illus- 

 trious exponent of our extinct marsupials — though the author himself 

 at the lime was aware of its preoccupancy among the invertebrates, — 

 and to maintain the validity of the genus, a matter which has been 

 called in question. Accordingly to prevent further complications the 

 name Owenia is withdrawn in favour of Euowenia. The paper con- 

 cludes with a synopsis of the genera of the Nototheriidae, in the sense 

 in which the author would prefer to use that term (to include Notothe- 

 rium, Diprotodon, Euoioenia, Zygomaturus, and probably Sthenomerus) 

 in place of Mr. Lydekker's two families Nototheriidae and Diprotontidce. 



(5) " Onyx and Bipeltis : new Nematode genera ; with a Note on 

 Dorylaimus" by N. A. Cobb. 



NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



Mr. Maiden exhibited a number of vegetable products — fruits, 

 seeds, gums, essential oils, and timbers — in illustration of his papers. 

 Also specimens of a number of interesting indigenous (N.S.W.) plants 

 including Palmeria scandens, F. v.M., from Bulli; Oallicarpa peduncu- 

 lated, B.Br., and Alchomea ilicifolia, F.v.M., from the Bichmond Biver ; 

 Telopea oreades, F.v.M., and Persoonia chanu^euce, Lh., from the 

 southern portion of the colony. 



Mr. T. W. Edgeworth David exhibited, on behalf of Mr. J. E. 

 Carne, F.G.S., Mineralogist to the Department of Mines, Sydney, a 

 specimen of precious opal from the White Cliffs about fifty miles 

 northerly from Wilcannia. Precious opal and common opal have lately 

 been discovered in this locality in a formation corresponding to the 

 Desert Sandstone of Queensland. The opal occurs disseminated as an 

 infiltrated cement throughout the mass of the sandstone in places, and 

 also replacing the calcareous material of fossils. It also occurs in cracks 

 in the sandstone and in fossil wood, which is somewhat plentifully 

 distributed throughout the sandstone, and occasionally replaces part of 

 the original woody tissues of the silicifisd trees. 



Mr. A. Sidney Oliff stated that he had recently had an opportunity 

 of examining a collection of Coccinellida gathered by Mr. A. M. Lea, 

 among which he had found specimens of the lady -bird, Vedalia cardi- 

 nalis, obtained at Mossman's Bay, near Sydney. This capture is inte- 

 resting from the fact that the species has not previously been observed 



