The South Austrolian Isatiirolist. 
64 
been recorded from this State before this year when two of our 
members collected specimens which they now have flourishing in 
an aquarium; the plants have flowered as masses of pollen grains 
have been observed from this plant floating on the water. The 
female plant sends up a long thin flower stem which is produced 
in a spiral. When the solitary flower is about to open the spiral 
allows it to come to the surface where it blooms. When the 
flowering period is over and pollinisation has taken place the 
spiral then contracts bringing the fruit again under water and 
finally develops its seeds in the mud. The flower is very small 
and evidently does not depend on insects to carry pollen to it. It 
seems that the wind disperses the pollen over the surface of the 
Avater and some grains eventually reach the flowers. It seems 
necessary for both floAvers to come to maturity at the same time 
to ensure propagation by seed and hoAV two distinct sets of plants 
arrange this is a botanical Avonder. The fruit is long, slender 
and cylindrical, up to 5 inches in length by one eighth of an 
inch in diameter. The seeds are very numerous, threadlike, but 
not long, being about one sixteenth of an inch in length, and 
enveloped in a mass of gelatinous substance filling the fruit. 
The male plants are similar to the female, the only difference 
is that the male floAAxrs are produced on short stems at the base 
of the leaves. When the pollen is ripe the anthers burst and 
the pollen rises to the surface encased in a protecting coat which 
opens later. 
IV. FISHES OF THE EINNISS RIVER. 
By T. W. Nettelbeck. 
Vly first visit to the Finniss River Avas on the occasion of 
the Annual Camping Excursion of the S.A. Aquarium Society, 
which took place during the sunny week end in January including 
the public holiday. Anniversary Day. The second, Easter, Week, 
which although considerably cooler was just as enjoyable, and 
much more to the advantage of the aquarist for the reason of 
making conditions more suitable for conveying live fishes to 
Adelaide. As one leaves the camping site equipped for taking 
specimens of suitable aquarium fishes, and happy in the company 
of equally happy and enthusiastic camping friends, you can’t 
help but Avonder hoAv the surrounding country must have appeared 
some eighty or more years ago, when the now almost bare low- 
lands Avere heavily timbered and the dusky natives made their 
camps along the still picturesque stream. A feAV of the old gnarl- 
ed warriors of the Eucalypt family, still standing like silent links 
Avith the past, bear the unmistakable signs of the vanished in- 
habitants of the lagoons, shores and grassy loAvIands of the Finniss. 
Here and there one sees Avhere the frail bark canoe has been 
