76 
Miscellanea. 
and hundreds of others, many of which have perhaps been dry for 
thousands of years, and are only indicated by the salsolaceous 
plants which inhabit the surface, and the thick deposit of shells 
which lies immediately beneath. I may mention that the trees in 
this part of the province are small, which appears to me to be 
from their youth; as the same species in the same soil in other 
parts of the country are six times as large, and in those parts of 
the plains which are lowest the trees appear only just now to be 
coming into existence. 
“ All the hills are volcanic ; and most of them arc very perfect 
cones, with craters in the centre, from which streams of lava can 
be distinctly traced. Such are Mount Elephant, Mounts Jura, 
Gellibrand, Hesse, Eeles, &c. One lake, on which Messrs. 
Manifold have a station, lias all the marks of the crater of an 
extinct volcano. Its water is, I believe, on an average twenty 
fathoms deep, and the sides very steep in some places, and com¬ 
posed of regularly stratified scorise, forming perfectly horizontal 
strata, excepting in those places where they have been curved by 
the falling of great globular masses of compact lava. The water 
of this lake is fresh and excellent, abounding in eels, blackfish, 
and a small fish, about an inch long, which is found in all these 
lakes in myriads, and, like the salmon, ascends the small streams 
at certain seasons to deposit its spawn. This lake, or old crater, 
contains lymnece and a small bivalve shell, also a palcemon, and 
many other interesting creatures.” 
April 22, 1846. 
Dr. Grant stated that a specimen of the Petaurus sciureus, or 
Port Phillip Squirrel, had recently been brought into Launceston 
from “ O’Connor’s Sugar-loaf,” a hill on the Lake River about 
thirty miles south of Launceston. 
Mr. C. S. Ilenty exhibited a bird, a species of the Grallatores, 
from the south side of the island, which was new to the members. 
Lieut. Friend, R.N., produced a new and very curious species 
of spider from the sandy country near George Town. 
Mr. R. C. Gunn exhibited specimens of the woods of the 
various coniferous trees of Van Diemen’s Land, viz. ot 
Callitris Australis, Br. 
,, Gunnii, Hook. fil. 
Athrotaxis selaginoides, Don. 
,, cupressoides, Don. 
,, laxifolia, Hook. 
Microcachrys tetragona, Hook. fil. 
Podocarpus alpina, Br. 
Phyllocladus aspleniifolia, Rich. Celery-topt Pine. 
Dacrydium Franklinii, Hook fil. Huon Pine. 
