168 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 
for much of the wanton destruction which has taken place 
in the past might have been prevented. Take the little 
native bear—one of our most beautiful and harmless 
animals—in all his travels he only remembered one case 
in which his host was able to point out to him specimens 
in their native habitat. It was now a rarity to see an old- 
man kangaroo in a wild state. The practice of laying 
poison for rabbits is largely responsible for the destruction 
of some of our most useful birds, and when our insectiver- 
ous birds are destroyed insect pests will increase without 
check, and it will be a hard matter to grow remunerative 
crops. Sir Joseph Carruthers proposes introducing a Bill 
into Parliament proposing the proclamation of all the waters 
of Sydney Harbour, Botany Bay, and Port Hacking as a 
sanctuary for aquatic birds, and it is much to be hoped 
that he will receive every support in this. Sir Joseph Car- 
tuthers also spoke, giving from his personal experience, 
particularly in the Goulburn district, an idea of how ter- 
tibly the native fauna has suffered through meaningless 
slaughter. 
By arrangement with Messrs. Pathe Freres, a wonder- 
ful series of moving pictures was thrown on the screen. 
‘These showed the opening of various blossoms, the move- 
ments of growing plants, birds feeding their young, and 
many others, and made a most instructive and entertaining 
display.—Ed. 
Parasitic Wasp.—The species of Hymenoptera bred 
by me from the pupz of Miletus hecalius, Miskin: (Aust. 
Nat.,’ Vol. II. p. 79), has been described (Proc. Linn. Soc. 
N.S. Wales, 1912, p. 199) by P. Cameron, as Chalcis tegu- 
laris, Cam.—G.A.W. 
Queensland Heart Pea.—Cardiospermum Halicacabum, 
Linn. Exhibited at April meeting by Mr. Steel, is according 
to Bailey (Queensland Flora) eaten in the Moluccas as a 
vegetable. Taken with castor oil internally for lumbago 
on Malabar coast. The root is laxative, diuric and demul- 
cent, and is used in rheumatic affections. I have noticed that 
the domestic fowl eats this plant freely, but will not so 
readily touch C. hirsutum, Wild.—T.S. 
Diplodactylus vittatus, Gray.—This is one of the 
most innocent and harmless of lizards. A specimen was sent 
to me alive which had been brought into a Marrickville dairy 
by a cat, and, under the oppobrious title of ‘“‘wood-adder,’’ 
was looked upon with dread by the dairy people. It was 
sent to me with a caution as to how I handled it, and the 
information that the senders were greatly surprised 
that the cat did not die after touching it !—T.S. eer 
