32 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
number the whole pond contained one cannot even faintly 
guess at. A microscopical examination showed that it was in 
the zooglosa stage—numbers of the little green cells embedded 
in a gelatinous matrix—and revealed its identity as Botryo- 
coccus braunti. When the cells multiplied by aivision they 
remained connected together in a string which wound round 
and round in a spiral or botryx: four-celled, eight-celled, 
sixteen-celled and many other stages were seen. Almost 
filling up the mouths of a number of drain pipes, opening into 
another pond, was a white stringy substance which proved to 
be the zoogloea stage of a Schizomycets, probably a Micrococcus. 
The ground near this pond was inclined to be swampy, and we 
found there in flower some fine bushes of the mountain swamp 
Grevillea acanthifolia. It was the first time we had seen it 
growing anywhere but on the mountains; but we learned that 
it had been introduced by Mr Forsyth, the superintendent of 
the Park. On the carnivorous Drosera binata a plant bug was 
found, the habits of which were described some years ago by 
Mr. A. G. Hamilton in the Town and Country Journal. This 
bug is very common on- Drosera binata on the Blue Mountains 
at such places as Govett’s Leap, where one or more occurs on 
every plant; but it had not been seen’ near Sydney before. 
The bug, unidentified, belongs to the family Lygerde. It 
freely walks up and down the middle track of the sticky and 
(to small insects) dangerous leav: s of the Drosera, and feeds on 
the insects which the plant catches. Another interesting bug 
was the water-boatman, Hnzthares sp., which has his second 
pair of legs developed into a splendid pair of oars. He lives 
under the water most of the time, and is a diver with a rare 
outfit, carrying down a bubble or two of air imprisoned under 
his small wings. 
S.J.J, 
Mr. Fincku’s AQUARIUM. 
On Saturday, June 9th, the Club availed itself of an 
invitation by Mr. H. H. Finckh to visit his aquarium at his 
residence at Mosman, about 50 members and friends being 
present. The aquarium, besides being beautiful and interest- 
ing ornaments for drawing-room and greenhouse, exemplified 
well what can be done with very little expenditure and trouble, 
in the way of keeping aquatic animals under observation, and 
was at the same time an excellent object lesson’ in : this 
direction. Large accumulator jars, filled with water, and hay- 
ing a little garden soil strewn on the bottom, supported a 
varied growth of plants, amongst the stems of which brightly. 
coloured fish. disported themselves. In order to give the 
bottom a clean and tidy appearance, shell grit was spread over 
the’ soil, ‘and. this added largely to the general appearance. 
