THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST, 
Japan only, though a specimen has. been in tl 
Museum for many years, which was received fror 
Hyprip SrEEpLInGs.—At a meeting ofthe Linnean So- 
ciety of New South Wales, held on Wednesday, 29th June, 
Dr. Cuthbert Hall, exhibited a hybrid seedling from seed 
gathered from a cultivated specimen of Acacia baileyana. It 
had been found that this Acacia, when growing near Acacia 
decurrens, gave about 20 per cent. of hybrids, which differed 
materially from either parent. The hybridisation may pro- 
bably have been effected by bees, both specimens flowering at 
the same time. . eg 
Dread Anrs.—At the same meeting as above Mr. T. 
Steel exhibited'a quantity of the dead bodies of an ant [17- 
domyrmex nitidus, Mayr, from Herbert River, Queensland, 
found in March, 1908, in numerous little heaps scattered over 
the surface of the ground. ‘The heaps varied from a few 
dozen bodies to many thousands. The ants were busy bring- 
ing the bodies and placing them on the heaps. Could this 
mortality have been due to an epidemic of scme sort? Mi- 
eroscopically the ants exhibit no injury or give any indication 
of the cause of death. 
Drovucut-rEsistiInG OponatE Larva.— Mr. Tillyard ex- 
hibited at the April meeting of the Linnean Society of New 
South Wales, a larva of Synthemis eustalaeta, Burm., (Neu- 
roptera: Odonata) which had been without food for three 
months, and had been subjected to gradual drought condi- 
tions culminating in three weeks of complete absence of water. 
The insect was still alive and quite healthy. Three others, 
though apparently lifeless when first. examined, quickly re- 
yived when dropped into water. This seemed to be the first 
absolute proof of the ability of any dragonfly larva to stand 
a complete drought. 
Recent AppointMENTS.—Among recent appointments two 
of our members figure prominently—Dr. E. J. Goddard, Lin- 
nean Macleay Fellow, and Mr. W. W. Froggatt. Of these 
two gentlemen, E. J. Goddard, B.A., D.Sc , has been ap- 
pointed to the position of Professor of Biology and Geology at 
Victoria College, Stellenbosch, South Africa, and W. W. 
Froggatt, #.L.S., as Lecturer on Economic Entomology at 
the Sydney University. Professor Goddard, who had had a 
brilliant university career in Sydney, has already entered upon 
his duties, but Mr. Froggatt, Government Entcmologist, who 
was recommended to his new position by the recently-ap- 
pointed Professor of Agriculture, will commence work in his 
new sphere as from January Ist, 1911... Mr. Froggatit’s ap- 
pointment is subject to the approval of. the Government. 
