2 THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIS1. 
Mr. A. Forster, a very fine series of water-colour drawings of 
epiphytal and terrestrial orchids, which were much admired. 
The President, a transverse section of a phyllode of Acacia 
suaveolens, and explained its structure, showing palisade cells 
all round the phyllode, and with narrow intercullular spaces, 
the large midrib and the SORES of the phyllode being protected 
by thickened cells called “stone” cells. This constitutes the 
xerophytic type. Other types illustrated have colourless spongy 
tissue with larger spaces between the cells. 
Mr. Neville Caley, State representative of the Royal Aus- 
tralasian Ornithologists’ Union, gave an invitation on behalf 
of the Council of the above to members of the Naturalists’ 
Society to attend the Annual Congress of the above Union, to 
be held in the King’s Hall, Hunter Street, on October 6th. An 
invitation was also extended to members to a lecture on “The. 
Economic Value of Our Birds,” to be given by Capt. S.A. 
White, of South Australia, in the Lecture Hall, Australian 
Museum, College Street, on October 7th. 
“CROSSLANDS.” 
By D. W. C. Sutress (“Werroona.”) 
I wonder how many readers of the Australian Naturalist 
know of the beauties of the Hornsby District. Very few of 
the residents are even aware that within easy walking distance 
one can get scenery, if not on so grand a scale as the Blue 
Mountains, yet grand enough, and beautiful with glimpses of 
inlet and creeks,—scenery which keeps ones. thoughts lingering: 
after it, even on a blistering summer day. 
Why “Crosslands” and where is it? Someone has heard 
that in the dark ages a family of that name lived on Berowra. 
Creek, and the name dwells, and the remnants of what must 
have been a well constructed road will eventually fade away 
into oblivion.. However, my friend, who by the way has the 
“Loranth” Fever badly, once on a summer’s day, when ones 
thoughts could conjure nothing in the way of beauty but an 
iceberg, suggested we should follow a road we had several times 
crossed, and investigate, well knowing I should grumble at. 
being dragged out to tramp along the Galston Road with the 
temperature close on to the etjave. So it was that we 
located Crosslands, and that on a sultry day in January I 
caught the train to Hornsby, with a mind full of misgivings. 
and “I-told-you-so” spitefulness rampant. 
