THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 187 
farmers in Hurope, who sowed the seeds on ve 
soil, and ploughed them in as a green manure. 
It has become naturalised on sandhills at Grange Road, 
South Australia, and Mr. A. A. Hamilton also quite recently 
found a large patch at Woy Woy. A specimen of “Spider 
Orchid”? (Caladenia filamentosa) was exhibited, collected by 
Mr. Waterhouse at the Como excursion in September. This. 
species is common in West Australia, and is recorded by Ben- 
tham from Mudgee, and by Moore and Betche from Warrah 
to Boorowa. The only other Port Jackson record is from 
Manly, in the proceedings of the Linnean Society of New 
South Wales, vol. xxvi. (1901), p. 213. 
“Gold-coated’’ Sheep's Teeth.—The incrustation on: 
sheep’s teeth, exhibited by Mr. Horan, is not gold, but con- 
sists of ordinary “‘tartar,’’ a deposit derived from the ani- 
mal’s food. The yellow metallic lustre is due to the “‘tartar’’ 
being deposited in thin translucent lamellae, the edges of 
which reflect the light in such a manner as to give the metal- 
' lic appearance. (See a paper by Professor Liversidge, in 
Proc. Royal Society, New South Wales, vol. xxxix., 1905.— 
—KEditor.) 
Notes on Tristania conferta.—The Brush Box is perhaps 
the most popular of our native trees for planting, especially 
for street avenues. Irregularity of flower structure is usually 
associated with some adaptation to secure fertilisation. The 
development of a lip is especially a frequent character of en- 
tomophilous flowers. The Brush Box provides an illustration 
of a regular flower tending towards the production of a lip- 
like irregularity, from quite another cause. The flowers. 
are produced in clusters of seven on lateral peduncles from 
the young shoot from the terminal buds of the branches. 
Each group consists of a terminai flower continuous with the 
peduncle, and two lateral groups of three, with the same cy- 
mose arrangement. The central flower matures first. The 
petals are imbricate, and the outermost encloses the rest, and 
is greenish on the back. The remaining four are pure white. 
In opening, the outermost petal, which is cup-shaped, opens 
freely, and stands parallel to the axis of the branch. The 
other petals remain at right angles to the branch, prevented 
from opening further by the lateral groups of younger flowers. 
Thus, in a purely mechanical way, an irregularity is imparted 
to what would otherwise be a decidedly regular flower. 
The lateral groups of these flowers are so placed that a 
line passing through them, passes also through the branch 
on which they are borne. 
ry poor, sandy 
' WwW. M. CARNE. 
_ HE RESISTANCE oF DiPTEROUS LARVAE To Porsonovs Li- 
quips —The remarkable power of resistance to injury of many 
fly maggots when placed in liquids which quickly prove fatal 
