Tasmanian Society. 
323 
deaths could be attributed, these might have arisen from their 
eating an indigenous species of Gompholobium (G. latifolium, 
Sm.) which is abundant in the pasturage of those neighbourhoods. 
He suggested that in experimenting upon the properties of our 
Gompholobiums, it would be as well to extend the inquiry into 
the properties of the allied genera, Aotus, Sphcerolobium, and 
Oxylobium, which also abounded in the same quarter, and might 
exert prejudicial effects on cattle feeding upon them. 
Dr. Pugh exhibited some specimens of Serpentine from Glen 
Dhu, near Launceston, and Graphite from West Head, River 
Tamar. 
C. S. Henty, Esq., exhibited several very perfect specimens of 
a fossil Spalangus from a recent marine limestone formation west 
of Portland Bay ; also some curious nodules of iron-ore from the 
Darling Range, Swan River. 
A large specimen of Thylacinus Harrisii was exhibited by 
W. H. Breton, Esq., which he had recently obtained from 
Auburn, Macquarie River. It was a male, and its dimensions 
were as follow: 
Ft. In. 
Nose to insertion of tail. 3 10J 
Length of tail. I 8 
Height of shoulder from the ground. 1 10J 
Girth round the body behind the shoulder. 2 0£ 
Dr. Pugh mentioned that the barometer at the Royal Magnetic 
Observatory, Hobart Town, on 22d July, 1847, was as low as 
28.566; the weather being at the time fine. 
C. S. Henty, Esq., stated, with reference to his previous obser¬ 
vations on the habits of the Black Swan, as published in the 
Minutes of the Tasmanian Society, July 2, 1845, that the Swans 
at Srathmore had as usual returned (about a month or six weeks 
ago) to lay their eggs and breed, after an absence of several 
months. 
August 18, 1847. 
Read a paper “ On the Geology of Point Nepean, Port 
Phillip.” By Dr. E. C. Hobson, of Melbourne. (See p. 240) 
Dr. Hobson observes :— 
“ The narrow strip of land bounding Port Phillip on the south, 
and separating the waters of Bass’s Strait from that bay, and 
terminating in Point Nepean, consists of stratified calcareous 
sandstones, limestones almost as soft as chalk, beds of vegetable 
mould, and a base of basaltic rock. The surface is one succession 
of abrupt hillocks and depressions such as are seen in the ordi¬ 
nary sea dunes, excepting that Point Nepean is covered with a 
dense vegetation of trees and grass. The most interesting feature 
in the structure of this point of the coast is the existence of two 
fossil forests, the one above the other, the trees standing 
erect where they grew. The oldest is seen in some places 
