The South Austraimn Naturalist. 
of the house. On a table in one of the rooms was found a great 
variety of molluscan remains, including two species of nautilus, 
many varieties of strombs and volutes, the razor shell {Melo dia- 
dema) frilled cockle, Murex regius, the delicate Pecten pleuron- 
ectes from the seas around Port Darwin; the Ovulum. Several 
beautifully tinted Achetina from Central Africa were noted. This 
is the largest of land molluscs. Another beautiful shell was the 
reddish-coloured Cassus rufus with Unio from the River Murray, 
and some duviatile shells from the Torrens, a giant clam, an im- 
mense Helix, {Harpa veritricosa) were commented upon. The 
Pteroceras (horny winged) known as the scorpion shell had its 
place in the collection. Capt. S. A. White also spoke on his fav- 
orite theme — the immense value of the native birds to the tiller 
of the soil and the stockbreeder. 
EXCURSION TO MILLBROOK, NOVEMBER 14. 
A large party travelled to the Reservoir via the picturesque 
Gorge Road. Alet by the curator the party divided into two 
sections. One part under the leadership of Mr. B. Beck went 
on the lake and secured water weeds and fresh water fish and 
pond life. Another section led by Mr. Ising and Mr. Ham search- 
ed the hillsides for botanical specimens. The visit was rather late 
for this year as but few orchids were seen. The chief interest 
was the examination of the characteristic elaeophora forest. The 
trees bear a superficial resemblance to young stringy-barks but 
careful examination shows them to be different in many respects, 
from other eucalypts by its gre5ash rough (but not fibrous) bark, 
EucGlyptus elaeophora (Olive Barked Box) may be distinguished 
and by its angular buds, usually arranged in a star shape. Its 
leaves^ are long and lance shaped. In Victoria as in our own 
State it iS known under a great variety of popular names. It is 
usually a stunted tree often with a mallee habit of growth, though 
a few trees attain a remarkable size. The wood is almost use- 
less, decaying quickly, and of little value even as fuel. 
Hie elaeophora forests occur on poor hard soils with a char- 
actenstic undergrowth. Professor Osborn has dealt with this in 
the Procedings of the Royal Society” for 1924 (pp. 108-109). 
EXCURSION TO MR. BURDETT’S AT BASKET RANGE 
NOVE?ClBER 28. 
large party motored to Basket Range to visit Mr. Bur- 
ketts garden. The trip took the party through some of the most 
beautiful scenery of the hills. Cherry trees in full fruit lined 
