March, 1953 
THE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST 
Thirty -three 
PROCEEDINGS 
Botanic Garden, January 31, 1953. 
There is a strong feeling among 
members of our Society that one 
meeting each year should be of a 
social nature, so that members, 
especially those who have recently 
joined, shall become better known 
to one another. The popularity 
of the idea was made apaprent on 
Saturday, January 31, when more 
than 40 members and friends met 
at the Botanic Garden kiosk. All 
were surprised and delighted to see 
Miss Bowden, who had obtained 
special permission from the hos- 
pital superintendent to be brought 
along. 
FEBRUARY MEETING 
During his existence on this 
planet, man has visited practically 
everywhere on its surface. How- 
ever, he knows but little of what 
lives in the great ocean deeps, and 
what he has learned has but 
whetted his determination to learn 
more. Mr. G. Thomas in his ad- 
dress on the evening of February 
17, told of the conditions five or six 
miles below the ocean’s surface — a 
region where the temperature was 
within a degree or so of zero, 
where there was enormous pres- 
sure, no sound and absolute dark- 
ness, save that light emitted from 
some of the creatures there. There 
were fish which by a row of light 
cells along their sides, gave the im- 
pression of a small tramcar moving 
along. There were creatures blind, 
without eyes and others with eyes, 
inordinately large. 
The audience, which filled the 
Socety’s room to capacity, was fas- 
cinated by the lecture, which was 
illustrated by slides. Mr. Thomas 
pointed out that research in this 
field was originated and solely 
After some discussion about the 
previous year’s activities and other 
matters, members attended an en- 
joyable afternoon tea in the kiosk. 
Discussion was resumed by some, 
while others took short excursions 
to various points of interest in the 
Gardens, the classified section being 
very popular. Mr. Lin Williams, 
as usual, was very busy there, but 
found time to give some informa- 
tion about grasses. 
All agreed that this should be an 
annual fixture, possibly as an end 
of-the-year get-together. 
A.C.M. 
carried out by the British Admir- 
alty until practically the beginning 
of this century. The research done 
by the “Challenger” in 1866 is still 
regarded as authoritative. 
Mr. Dunstone described two 
plants which he brought along. 
They were Ambrosia psilostachya 
(Perennial Ragweed) Psoralea 
patens . These plants are rarely 
seen on the Adelaide Plains and 
it gave the finder much pleasure 
when he observed them adjacent 
to the railway track at Albert 
Park. 
Mr. H. V. McDougall, Nyabing, 
W.A., and Mr. R. Clements, Leigh 
Creek coalfield, were elected coun- 
try members. — A.C.M. 
As a complete list of financial 
members will be published in the 
June “Naturalist,” will all mem- 
bers who have not yet paid their 
1952 subscriptions please do so 
immediately. If this is not done 
the Committee will have no 
alternative but to remove your 
name from the “S.A. Naturalist” 
mailing list. 
