FOR THE PEOPLE FOK EDVCATION FOR. SCIENCE LIBRARY OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ^$&m £ <* 'HA i\ THE Victorian Naturalist: THE JOURNAL & MAGAZINE OF THE 4 t fyM ^aluplbte* flub of l^towa* APRIL, 1894, TO MARCH, 1895. The Author of each Article is responsible for the facts and opinions he records. Melbourne: WALKER, MAY & CO., PRINTERS, MACKILLOP STREET (OFF 390 LITTLE COLLINS STREET). 189"). ■} j. u. ' i*3 INDEX TO VICTORIAN NATURALIST. VOL. 2CI. Albatross Island and the Hunter Group, A Trip to Animals, The Preservation of Indigenous - - - Anthercea eucalypti Antiquity of Man in Victoria, Evidence of - Apus, A New Species of Aquarium, Handbook to Mel- bourne- - Articles of Interest 31, 132, Australia, Collecting Notes from Central Australia, Notes on Swini- ming Birds of Australian Plants, Descrip- tion of New - Didiscus - - - - Birds of Australia, Notes on Swimming - Birds of Box Hill District - Birds, List of Victorian Books, Notices of - 32, " Catalogue of Minerals " ' ' Descriptive Catalogue of Bocks of Victoria " - "Guide to Exhibition Buildings " - - ' ' Illustrated Description of Thistle, &c." "Victorian Butterflies " - Calocvra, Notes on Genus - Cocoon Makers and Cocoon Breakers ■- Collecting Notes from Cen- tral Australia Cuckoos _ - - _ Edible Fungi - Errata - - 72, 120, Eulimella - PAGE p w,i: Exchange - 168 134 Exploring Expedition, The Horn Scientific - 2, 110 7!) Field Naturalists' Club — 66 Annual Report 46 Conversazione - 50 87 Excursions — 161 Bacchus Marsh 54 Bayswater - 123 32 Cheltenham - 118 167 Frankston - 118 Heidelberg - - 53, 146 158 Merri Creek 64 Moonee Valley 160 35 Picnic Point 63 Springvale - 123 144 Tarrawarra - 124 144 Werribee Gorge - 125 Williamstown 160 35 Exhibition of Wild Flowers 99 91 Prize Competition - 4c >, 98 do Proceedings, 1, 33, 45, 61, 73, 165 85, 97, 109, 121, 133, 145, 168 157 Graptolites, The Literature 165 of - 78 Hesperilla lialyzia 122 32 Horn Exploring Expedition, The 2, 110 32 Hunter Group and Albatross 32 Island, Trip to 134 127 Kangaroo Grass - 152 Kangaroo, Tree-Climbing - 13 65 Lepidopterist at Phillip Is- land, A - - - 164 15S Lizards - 152 104 Magpies - - - 73 , 85 92 Marsupial, Note on a Rare - 121 122 Microscopical Test Rulings - 163 152 Micro-Fungi, Victorian 90, 119 INDEX. Moths, A Catalogue of Vic- torian 57, 81, 93, 105, 153 Geonietrina - - 57, 81 Noctuina- 82, 93, 105, 153 Pyralidina - - - 155 Epipaschiadse - - 155 Pyralididse - - - 15(5 Selidosemidse - 57, 81 National Parks - - - 92 .Y< ritina variegata - - 30 Orchid — Pterostylis cucullata 91 Ornithology in Central Aus- tralia - - - - Ostracod, A Phosphorescent Pamphila augias - ['up ui mi cerea - Parrakeet, The Rosehill Phillip Island, A Lepidop terist at Preservation of Indigenous Animals - Puccinia - - - 90, 119 Queensland, A Trip to North 3 Rotifer in Melbourne, The 100, 111 Salp, On Occurrence of in Port Phillip - - - 72 97 131 132 30 132 "- 164 79 PAGE Shell, A New - 30 Shell New to Victoria, A - 152 Snake New to Victoria, A - 140 Spilosoma glatygni - - 142 Spiders, Habits and Senses of 34 Surrey Hills Field Club 92, 152 Swimming Birds of Australia 35 Test Rulings, Microscopical 163 Trip to North Queensland - 3 Uromyces - - - - 90 Victoria, Antiquity of Man in 87 Victoria, A Shell New to - 152 Victoria, A Snake New to - 146 Victorian Birds, List of - 55 Victorian Micro-Fungi 90, 119 Victorian Moths, 57, 81, 93, 105, 153 Volcanic Rocks of Melbourne District - - - 74 Walhalla as a Collecting Ground - - - 147 Werribee Gorge, Geological Literature of - - 125 White Ants - 92 ILLUSTR ATIONS, Brooding Albatrosses - Cave, Albatross Island Cocoon, &c, Anthersea Landing at Stanley Papuina cerea PAGE - 140 - 138 66, 70 - 136 - 30 PAGE Rotifers - - - - 117 Spilosoma glatygni - - 142 "Where the Pelican Builds its Nest" - - - 134 THE Vol. XL— No. 1. APRIL, 1894. No. 125. FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. The ordinary monthly meeting was held in the Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, oth April, 1894. The President, Mr. H. T. Tisdall, F.L.S., occupied the chair, and there was an attend- ance of some 50 members and friends. REPORT OF EXCURSION. A report of the excursion to Bacchus March on Easter Monday was received from the leader, Mr. C. C. Brittlebank. The party visited the Werribee Gorge and inspected the evidences of glacia- tion recently discovered there. MEETING FOR PRACTICAL WORK. The hon. secretary reported that the usual meeting for prac- tical work was held on 19th March, when there was a moderate attendance. The course in botany was continued, Mr. Shephard taking as his type the yeast plant. ELECTION OF MEMBER. On a ballot being taken, Mr. J. Prescott was duly elected a member of the Club. GENERAL BUSINESS. A letter was read from Mr. H. R. Hogg, asking the Club to accept nine folio volumes of Victorian plants for the use of members for reference. A unanimous vote of thanks was ac- corded Mr. Hogg for his valuable gift. PAPER READ. By Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., entitled " What is a Graptolite ? " The question was answered by referring these interesting fossils to the free-swimming Hydrozoa. The author briefly defined the differ- ent groups into which graptolites are divided, and exhibited a number of diagrams and specimens in illustration of his remarks. Professor Spencer considered it more likely that they were fixed Hydrozoa, and drew attention to the practical advantages of a com. plete study of these forms in the determination of auriferous strata. NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. A note was read by Mr. G. A. Keartland on " Our Neighbour- ing Naturalists." During recent visits to Adelaide and Sydney Mr. Keartland visited several old friends and gained many new ones. The result, as shown at the meeting, was a considerable accession to his collection. Two cuttings were contributed by Mr. R. S. Sugars — one recommending boracic acid as a preservative for bird skins, and the other on some recent experiments made at the Plymouth Marine Biological Laboratory to decide the action of light on the THE VICTORIAN* NATURALIST. white undersides of flat-fish. It was found that if light be reflected from below the undersides gradually became spotted, and finally dark all over. EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. The following were the principal exhibits of the evening : — By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — Geological specimens from Bacchus Marsh excursion, and geological map of district. By Mr. J. Gabriel. — Egg of Great Wandering Albatros, Diomedia exsulans, and Hydroid, Ceratella fusca, in spirit. By Mr. G. A. Keartland. — Eggs obtained during recent trips to Adelaide and Sydney, including Megapode, Megapodus tumulus, Macleay's Kingfisher, Halcyon Macleayi, Phaeton Finch, Eslrilda p/iaeton, Great-billed Gerygone, Gerygone magnirostris, White-fronted Gerygone, G. albigularis, Rock Parrakeet, Euphema prtrophila, Bauer's Parra- keet, Platycercus Bauetii, and many others ; also pair of Cockatoo Parrakeets, Calopsittacus Novic-Hollandice, bred in captivity by Mr. Mellor, of Adelaide. By Baron von Mueller, K.C.M.G. — Pimelea Treyvaudi, new to science, collected by Mr. H. Treyvaud, at Cudgewa, Upper Murray River • also Asplenium bulbiferum, with unusually large growth, collected by C. French, jun., at Strezlecki Range, South Gippsland. By Mr. F. P. Spry. — Two cases of Australian Lepidoptera. By Mr. G. Sweet. — Fossil flora from the Leigh's Creek coal formation, south-west of Lake Eyre, South Australia, obtained during a recent visit to that locality, including Thinufeldia media, T. odontopteroides, Phyllopteris feis- mantelli, Macrotccniopteris tz'iatiamattc?, Tceniopteris Carrut/iersz, Equisetunty Otozamihs, Podozamites, Trichomanites laxum (?), and Allthoptens. After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. The Horn Scientific Exploring Expedition. — This party, which in- cludes two members of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, has been fitted out by Mr. \V. A. Horn, of South Australia, for the examination of that portion of Central Australia between Oodnadatta — the present terminus of the Great Northern Railway of South Australia, about 280 S. lat. — and the Macdonnell Ranges, which lie on the Tropic of Capricorn, left Adelaide on Thursday, the 3rd May. Mr. W. A. Horn will act as leader; Mr. C. A. Winneke, F.R.G.S., will have charge of the meteorology and surveying ; Prof. E. C. Stirling, F.R.S., of anthropology and ethnology ; Prof. R. Tate, F.G.S., of palaeon- tology and botany ; Prof. W. B. Spencer, M.A., of biology ; and Mr. J. A. Watt, M.A., of geology ; whilst Messrs. G. A. Keartland and F. A. Belt will act as collectors and naturalists. Besides these there are three camel-drivers, a cook, and two prospectors sent by the South Australian Government. It is proposed that on arrival at Oodnadatta, about 4S0 miles north of Adelaide, the parly will take a north-westerly course along the overland telegraph line to about Charlotte Waters, when they will strike to the west to Avers Range, then again north-west along the Palmer to the George Gill Range, named by Giles, then up the Finke River to the Macdonnell Ranges, thence easterly to the telegraph line at about Alice Springs. This task will, it is calculated, take them about three months. All specimens, &c, obtained will be the property of Mr. Horn, who will distribute them as he thinks fit, and to whom the various reports are to be furnished on the termination of the expedition. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. A TRIP TO NORTH QUEENSLAND. By D. Le Souef, Assistant Director Zoological and Acclimatiza- tion Society of Victoria. (Communicated by H. P. C. Ashworth.) (Read before Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria, 12th Feb., 1894.,) I left Melbourne for Queensland on 2nd September, 1893, in the s.s. Araioatta, to endeavour to procure some Tree-climbing Kangaroos, Dendrolagus Bennettianus, and other animals, for the Melbourne Zoological Gardens. A passenger was landed at Gabo Lighthouse, and we were thus enabled to get a glimpse of the entrance to that beautiful inlet Mallacoota, and wished for a nearer view. It is unfortunate that this place is so difficult to reach from Melbourne, otherwise it would be a great resort for holiday-makers. On arriving at Sydney Harbour heavy rain came on, but it cleared up next day, and we left again in beautiful weather. We had a clear view of Point Hackett, South Solitaires, Cape Morton, and other landmarks along the coast, and reached Brisbane on the 8th. On going up the river signs of the late disastrous flood were everywhere visible. Our voyage was resumed again next day with fine weather. Passing Sandy Cape on the 10th, we arrived at Keppel Bay the same night at 1 o'clock, and going up the river in the tender against a strong tide, arrived at Rock- hampton at 7 o'clock next morning. I left by train for Mr. Bar- nard's station, " Coomooboolaroo," near Duaringa, to endeavour to procure some Black-headed Snakes, Aspidistes melanocephalus, &c, for our Gardens, and arrived there during the afternoon. The garden was gay with bright-coloured flowers, and some of the creepers were literally a mass of blossom, almost completely hiding the green leaves. I found the doves just as numerous and tame as on my former visit, and it was a pleasure to see how fearless they had become through kind treatment. When having afternoon tea on the verandah they would frequently alight on one's hands and peck at the cake, &c, one might be holding j occasionally they essayed to alight on the rim of a cup, at the risk of upsetting the contents. At half-past 4 every day they were fed with a little grain ; an old kerosene tin was rattled to give them notice, and as soon as they heard it they came flying from different parts of the garden to be fed. There were three kinds : the European Ring Dove, the Barred-shouldered Dove, Geopelia humeralis, and the little Peaceful Dove, Geopelia tranquilla, which, however, were often very pugnacious the one to the other. I visited some scrub a few miles away from the house, and was enabled to get a photograph of one of the Bottle Trees, Sterculia rupestris. They seldom seem to grow in the open forest country; there are two kinds here, popularly known as the Broad-leaf and THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Narrow-leaf, and in times of drought they are cut down for the cattle to feed on, which they do greedily. The bark, which is very hard, is first removed ; but the rest of the tree, being formed of a soft pithy substance, is all eaten. The nest and four eggs of a Collared Butcher Bird, Cracticus torquatus, were found near the top of a slender sapling close to the Bottle Tree. These birds were fairly numerous, their melodious note being frequently heard both in the scrub and forest land, and their nests were found on several occasions, generally near the top of small trees. In a thick bush we found the nest and egg of the Black-tailed Thickhead, Pachycephala nielanurus, but the structure was so lightly built that the egg was in great danger of falling out. We also went to a range of rocky hills about 10 miles away, but did not find any snakes. We secured, in holes in the high lemon- scented gum trees, a clutch of two eggs of the Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Trichoglossus chlorolejndopus ; two eggs of the Blue Mountain Lorikeet, Trichoglossus Novce-Hollandice ; two eggs of the Yellow-crested Cockatoo, Cacatua galerita ; and two nests with three eggs of the Friar Bird, Philemon comiculatus, which latter build their open nests near the ends of the branches of the acacia trees, and are consequently often difficult to get at. On our way back we found another nest of the Butcher Bird, Cracticus torquatus, with three eggs. In the garden a pair of Long-billed Honeyeaters, Glyciphila occularis, had built their pretty nest not more than two feet from the ground ; it was lined with the fluff off the buds of the grape vine, a very soft substance. When their nest was taken they at once started building another at the top of a tall orange tree, to be well out of harm's way, and were sitting on two eggs at the time I left. In an old nest of a Pomatostomus, Pomatostomus rubiaJus, a pair of Blue-faced Honeyeaters, Entomyza cyanolis, had made their home. They had enlarged the entrance, and for their nest used thin strips of bark, lining it with grass, and covering up the soft lining of the Pomatostomus. Their eggs were taken on 8th August, and a second clutch of eggs of the same species of bird was taken out of the same nest on 13th September ; as the eggs were differently marked to the first set, they were probably laid by another pair of birds. Many birds, notably Hawks, will often use other old nests to build in or on in preference to starting new ones, and the nests of Black Ducks have often been found in deserted Crows' nests. We were enabled to visit a swamp in the neigh- bourhood, and when wading about in it, waist deep, came across a snake, Dipsas fusca, climbing up one of the dead trees. It was wonderful to see how it took advantage of every little excrescence on the bark to cling to. We were glad it did not tumble into the water, where we would have been at a dis- advantage, as we could only move slowly on account of the THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. snags and uneven slippery ground ; but it soon reached the branches and then climbed to the top of the tree. Several nests of the little Black-throated Grebe, Podiceps Novce-Hollandice, were found floating in the water ; they were made of rushes. When the bird left the nest she always carefully covered the eggs up ; the eggs themselves were just below the level of the water, and consequently always wet. During the heat of the day the surface of the water is warm, and the birds often leave the eggs for a long time without sitting on them ; it is possible, also, that the mass of vegetation of which the nest is composed helps to keep the heat up. The nests were generally found in the deepest parts of the swamp. A good many Black-backed Coots, Porphyria melanotus, were seen ; but we only found one unfinished nest, it being too early for their breeding ; they break down a few rushes and bind them together to stand on. In the gum trees growing at the edge of the swamp several nests of the Little Lorikeet, Trichoglossus pusillus, were found, mostly with four eggs in ; these birds seem to prefer building in trees growing in or near water. In a small tree near the centre of the swamp we found two nesls of the White-breasted Cormorant, Gracalus melanoleucus, one with three fresh eggs in and the other with two ; but these birds seldom breed in this neighbourhood. High up in a big gum tree a pair of Whistling Eagles, Haliastur sphenurus, had built their nest, in which were two fresh eggs. At nearly every swamp near here a pair of these birds had their nests ; they seldom seem to build far from water. Several Pacific Herons, Ardta panfica, were busy building their stick nests, but we were too early for eggs ; they often build on a very thin branch, which makes it difficult to get at them. A pair of Plotus Birds, Plotus Novce-Hollandias, were seen sailing around high overhead, having been disturbed at our approach ; and an old Crow, Corvus coronoides, flew away from the top of a high tree in which was its nest — a very difficult one to get at, as Crows' nests here often are, they generally choosing the highest trees — but Mr. H. Barnard climbed up and found two eggs in it. Just before leaving, a nest of a White-fronted Heron, Ardea Novcv-Hollandice, was found, and in it five hard-set eggs. On our way back we found the nest and eggs of the Fuscous Honeyeater, Ptilolis fusca, and the Lanceolate Honeyeater, Plectorhyncha lav ceolata, both suspended at the end of thin branches of small eucalyptus trees. A few blacks had a camp about half a mile from the house, and one evening we heard them wailing very loudly, and found out soon after that one of their number had just died. Every evening, just after sunset, they used also to wail for a short time during the man's illness ; they also do the same when any of their dogs are suffering from bad wounds, &c. The man was buried next day in the bush THE VICT0K1AN NATURALIST. about a mile away. The bottom of the grave was strewn with fresh gum leaves, and the body, wrapped up in blankets, placed in ; over it a sheet of bark was put, and the grave was then filled up with freshly cut logs. A fire was kept burning alongside the grave for some time after the burial. The grave is always dug east and west, and the man's feet turned towards the east, so that, as they say, he can see the rising sun. For some time after- wards the gins used to wail for him in the evenings, beating the ground on which they sat, and their backs, with a flat shield. We rode to a creek some miles away to see if we could find the nest of the beautiful parrakeet, Psephotus pidcherrimus. It makes a hole into a White Ant mound, and forms a fair-sized chamber in the centre, where it lays five white eggs. It is the only parrot we have in Australia which does this, and it is curious why it should differ from the rest of its species in so doing. We were fortunate in finding a nest, of which I took a photograph. On our way out we came across a hollow log with a track worn alongside it, showing there were dingo puppies inside. We made a fire at the larger end to prevent them escaping, and, blocking up the smaller end, cut holes with a tomahawk in the log till we came to where the dogs were, and secured two puppies, also their mother, whom we quickly dispatched. During the day we also found the nests and eggs of the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and Blue Mountain Parrot, both close together; then the nest of the Black-backed Magpie, Gymnorhina tibicen, and in an adjoining tree the nest of a Collared Butcher Bird. Next we found two hawks' nests close together, and shortly afterwards the nests of a New South Wales Oriole, Mimeta viridis, and Friar Bird, also in adjoining trees. Birds very frequently build in company. We killed a fair-sized Iguana, or Gould's Monitor, Varanus Gouldii. These reptiles are very destructive to birds nesting, especially those in hollows of trees ; they often feed also on bandicoot, opossum, &c, and during times of drought, when cattle are down and unable to rise, they are attacked by these creatures, which frequently eat holes in them before they are dead. When killing animals such as opossums, rats, &c, they shake them like a terrier does a rat. They can also go a long time without food. One in the Melbourne Zoological Gardens fasted for nine months before it commenced to eat, refusing all food offered to it during that time. We saw a few Grey Kangaroos, Macropus giganteus, which let us approach very close on horseback. One morning three female Wallaroos, Macropus robustus, came close to the house and after a time went off again quietly. They had no joeys with them ; the young are often killed by dingoes. There are several kinds of hornets here ; the largest make their nests hanging from the lower side of granite boulders, dead boughs, &c. Another species THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. which generally have honey in their combs, build in hollow stumps, and the humming noise they make, which can be heard when close to, warns one not to approach nearer, as they sting badly. Another small species build a large nest on the under side of the branch of a tree, generally high up, and any birds' nests situated near them we came to the conclusion we did not want. On several occasions I noticed that the boughs of one gum tree growing close to another seemed to have been leaning against its neighbour until the bark of the other tree had grown over it, making it appear as part of the same tree. On another occasion we rode out to some other swamps, and while passing by some cattle camps often disturbed Maned Geese, Chlamydochen jubata, feeding on the short green grass, also Squatter Pigeons, Geophaps scripta, the latter frequently running out of our way instead of flying. A flock of nine Black Cockatoos, Calyptorhynchus funereus, flew over our heads. They utter a different note to those found in Victoria, and breed in June and July. A few Pacific Herons were noticed building, and a nest with two eggs in of the Falco frontitus secured. These birds seemed to feed on dragon flies and other insects, as well as small birds, such as quail, &c. We found the nest and three eggs of the Little Friar Bird, Philemon citreogularis, sus- pended from a thin fork of a sapling, and not far off, on a tall tree, the nest of a Crow with its first egg in it ; while on a thin branch of a big gum, near the water's edge, the bulky nest of a Whistling Eagle was seen with the bird sitting on it, but it was so situated as to be unobtainable, so was not disturbed. A flock of Spoonbills, Platibis Jlavipes, rose as we approached one swamp, but they do not seem to breed here, and the long-necked Plotus Bird soared high into the air, very seldom flapping its wings, but ascending by circling round and round till almost out of sight. A few freshwater shells were obtained, but only of two kinds, found on the under surface of the leaves of the Blue Water Lily. We also observed a caterpillar on the under surface of the leaves, which consequently lives under water, but found no cocoons, In some places the water was thickly covered with the leaves of the lilies, and the bright green formed a pleasing contrast to the gaunt dead gum trees standing in their midst. On a dead tree near the middle of a swamp a Blue Crane, or White-fronted Heron, Ardea Novo>-Hollandice, had its flat nest with four eggs. On our return we noticed a pair of Crested Oreoicas, Oreo'lca cristata. These birds have the curious habit of placing dead caterpillars on the outside rim of their nest, for what purpose I am unable to say. We passed through a thicket of flowering Melaleuca trees, Melaleuca leneadendron, on the banks of a creek; the scent of their flowers was very strong and by no means pleasant ; hawks and crows seem to use the soft bark to line THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. their nests with. On the upper surface of a branch of a small tree the Podargus, Podargus strigoides, had its nest, but with only one egg in ; the other we found lying broken on the ground underneath the nest ; the structure was very shallow, and the bird could have easily rolled its egg out accidentally. It is wonderful how few eggs are knocked out of the nests by the parent birds, especially when we consider of what a flimsy character many of the pigeons' and doves' nests are ; yet the birds fly on and off the nest without upsetting the eggs. We watched a Whistling Eagle settle on a tree, and immediately a pair of Collared Butcher Birds and several Minahs, which probably had nests in the vicinity, attacked it and succeeded in driving it off. After flying for some distance the eagle alighted on another tree, when a pair of Magpies went for it, giving it no peace until it had again to shift its quarters, and it probably met with the same opposition further on. I left the station for Rockhampton without having secured the sought-after snakes, as a flood had occurred shortly before my arrival, and the reptiles had shifted their quarters, so we could not find their whereabouts. An eye-witness described to me a fight he had once witnessed between two of these snakes, each about ten feet long ; they fought with great fury until killed by the onlooker. They have the local reputation of being venomous, but are really not so, and kill their prey of opossums, bandicoots, &c, by constriction, and, like many other constricting snakes, generally seem to secure their food in the evening or night, and to lie in hollow logs or crab-holes during the day. At Rock- hampton the pretty Bee Birds, llerops ornatus, were very numerous ; they had just arrived from the north, and were commencing to burrow out their nests, seeming to prefer a slight incline in sandy soil. I left for Townsville in the s.s. Peregrine, arriving there on the 29th, and as the Peregrine did not proceed further, was detained there a short time waiting for the Cintra to take me on to Cook- town. While there I paid an interesting visit to Mr. B. Gulliver's pretty gardens at Acacia Vale, the popular resort of the townspeople, and noticed several nests of the Bicheno Finch, Estrilda bichenovii, or, as it is called there, the Double-bar Finch, each having three white eggs ; these little birds build in the trees of the gardens, and seem far from shy. I also walked through the scrub to Cape Marlow, eight miles from the town, and on the way found the nest, with two brown eggs, of the pretty little Sun Bird, Cinmyris frenala, hanging from the dead branch of an acacia tree, about ten feet from the ground. Growing on the hot sandy soil were a few gourds — they are often used by the blacks to carry water in. I noticed also a good many Honeyeaters, but we were evidently too early for their nests, as none were found. The THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 9 handsome Swainson's Graucalus, Graucalus Swainsonii, was also to be seen in the mangroves near the sea, and flies and mosquitoes were very numerous in some places. On the nearly dried up swamps the beautiful White Egret, Herodia alba, Pelicans, Pelecanus conspicillatus, Whistling Eagles, Haliastur sphenurus, Southern Stone Plovers, (Edicnemus grallarius, and Silver Gulls, Laws Novce-Hollandice, were seen, but nowhere were they plentiful. I left by the s.s. Gintra for Cooktown, arriving there on 6th October, and had to wait a few days before an opportunity occurred of proceeding to the Bloomfield River. It was very windy during my stay, which made collecting difficult. On the mangroves bordering a small tidal stream three kinds of shell-fish were found, and one of the small fish that hop about up the banks and on the mangrove roots was caught ; they were very plentiful and very active and seem to live more out of the water than in it. The mangrove sheds its seed in a curious way — the single seed is in the form of a narrow pod, about a foot long ; when full grown it hangs down from the upper branches of the tree, the lower end being the heavier and also pointed, and when ripe falls and sticks into the soft mud below, when roots commence growing out of the lower end and a sort of cap is forced off the top end by the budding sprout ; of course many fall on hard ground or in the deep water, and do not grow. The trees also often send down roots into the soil below from their higher branches, and where the trees are thick form a network difficult to get through ; one rarely needs to tread on the soft muddy ground, but walks on the roots. The ground below generally has numerous small crab holes, and up here the crocodile seems to appreciate the dense shade given by these trees, and the general gloom of a mangrove swamp. In the open country Blue Mountain Parrots, Trichoglossus Novce-LTollandice, and Friar Birds, Philemon cornicu- latus, were very numerous, feeding on the honey of the flower- laden eucalyptus trees, and very noisy the birds were, the parrots especially, as they flew screeching about from one tree to another. I also noticed the little Sun Bird breeding here. In the scrub on Mt. Cook many Lewin's Honeyeaters, Ptilotis Lewinii, were seen, but it was too early for their nests. A Collared Sparrowhawk, Accipiter cirrhocephahis, was shot with a chicken in its claws. When resting near a small pool in the scrub the Honeyeaters and Zosterops came very close, bathing in the clear water. It was very rough climbing over the broken granite rock with which the surface is covered. In company with Mr. E. A. C. Olive, I visited a small cave on the steep side of the hill, formed by huge boulders of granite, and in it caught two kinds of bats — Nycto- philia timorensia and Vesperngo pumulis, as they flew past on being disturbed. Many Mason Wasps had built their mud nests on the lower side of some of the rocks. In the wet season the blacks 10 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. often camp here. We got a nice specimen of the hanging wasp's nest, but first drove the owners off by burning the long dry grass underneath the bush it was on; several hawks, being attracted by the fire, came flying round to pick up the insects and small animals disturbed or destroyed by it. We saw some bare-looking Cotton Trees with large green pods, which when ripe dry to a dark brown colour, and open, when the cotton soon falls out. There was also a kind of native fig tree covered with very small fruit, which when ripe is of a dark purplish colour and is readily eaten by the natives and European children, but it has very little taste. The Hoya, or Wax Creeper, then in flower, was very plentiful, hanging from the scrub trees ; there were two kinds — one pure white, with a delightful perfume, and the other a darker colour with no scent. The Endeavour River is thickly lined with man- groves on each side for some distance from its mouth, and is the favourite haunt of the Crocodile, Crocodilus porosus ; crabs also are very numerous, some of a bright purple colour. The man- grove roots next the river were in many places covered with small oysters, above low water mark. A pair of White-bellied Sea Eagles, Hallaetus leucogaster, were seen sailing over the river, when one suddenly came down, and, catching a fair-sized fish, flew off with it to a tall dead tree. On a small tract of scrub- covered sand near the bank of the river we found the mound of a Megapode, made under a thick tangled mass of creeper, and although the mound was about three feet high, with a diameter at the base of ten feet, it was difficult to detect among the creepers. We opened it up, but found that the eggs had not yet been laid ; centipedes, lizards, and snakes often make their home and lay their eggs in these nests — for the sake of the warmth, I presume. Shortly after we had opened up the Scrub Hen's nest and had camped for lunch I noticed my companion looking rather uneasy, and soon found that a fair-sized lizard had run up his leg ; he gave a sigh of relief when he found out what it really was. Near the town a good deal of mangrove has been cut down for firewood, and, as it burns freely and well, is much used. The tide runs very strongly in and out of the river, and is very hard to pull a boat against. Near the foot of Mt. Cook I noticed several large earthenware jars full of human bones, generally placed at the base of large granite rocks, and found out that after a Chinaman had been buried some time his bones were dug up, placed in a jar, and exposed to the weather for about a year, before they were shipped to China. I started for Bloomfield in a small cutter, the distance by sea being about thirty miles. On the way down we passed close to the Hope Islands and saw on them thousands of Torres Straits Pigeons, Carpophaga luctuosa ; also numerous sea birds on the beach, but as the latter had not commenced laying we did not THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 11 land. On going up the Bloomfield River I saw a White-breasted Sea Eagle, Haliastur leiccosternus, plunge into the water, and, catching a fish in its talons, fly off" with it ; these birds are fairly numerous about here. On landing at the jetty I walked five miles along a very dusty road to my destination, " Wyalla." The house was pleasantly situated on rising ground, facing towards the sea, about five miles distant, with low-lying open forest land in- tervening. At the back and on one side were high mountain ranges covered with dense scrub which in some places came to within a few hundred yards of the homestead, and it was on the higher points of these ranges that the Turrabina, or Tree-climbing Kangaroo, lived. The scrub was very dry, and the ground covered with dead leaves, which made it difficult to walk without making a noise and so disturbing the animal and bird life near. As no rain worth speaking of had fallen for some months previous to my visit, the various watercourses on the flat land were for the most part dry, but on following them up the mountain for a short distance into the scrub running water was generally met with. A good breeze used to blow during the day, but the nights and early mornings were, as a rule, very calm, and consequently most of my photographs were taken shortly after sunrise, before the breeze sprang up. The varieties of timber found in the scrub are con- siderable, including the fine Cedar Tree, Cedrela, and many other kinds grow to a large size, notably the Bean Tree. Some are hard wood and others soft ; several kinds exude a milk-white sap on having their bark cut into, especially one tree with very soft wood, locally known as the Flycatcher Tree, from the fact of its bearing seeds covered with a sticky substance, which are often thickly strewn on the ground under the tree, and any insects that come in contact with them are generally held. Many of the trees are valuable for their timber besides the Cedar, and a sawmill is worked at Bloomfield, the timber being either drawn in by bullock teams or floated down the Bloomfield River. The Stinging Nettle Tree, Laportea moroides, flourishes, especially near the edges of scrub that has been partly killed by fire or cleared, and grows to a height of about 15 feet, though generally much shorter, with a large, broad leaf. The stem is just as bad as the leaves for stinging. If one got stung on the hand or arm, the pain soon ascended to the armpit and caused a painful swelling, which often lasted for some days, and if the hands were bathed in cold water the pain became much more acute; in the same way, if the feet were stung the pain ascended. The effects of being badly stung often lasts for months ; horses suffer severely when stung, but not cattle, showing how powerful the irritant poison must be. I incautiously came in con- tact with the plant on several occasions, but the painful experience soon made me more careful. 12 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST; Creepers, also, are very numerous. The well-known I awyer Palm, Calamus australis, grows everywhere, its graceful light green fronds often forming a pleasant contrast with the darker hued vegetation of the scrub ; but, although pretty to look at, it was nearly impossible to force a passage through a thicket without cutting one's way. The strong tendrils are all lined with sharp hooks, curved backwards, which tear and cut badly if you force your way through them. They are the greatest hindrance to travelling through scrub, making it generally impossible to ride, as the plant is very tough and difficult to cut through. There are many other creepers, several of which are also plentifully covered with spines, but none of them are half so numerous as the Lawyer cane. I brought a few different samples with me, which will show better than description what they are like. Some had grown to a large size and length, and hung in festoons from the trees everywhere in the scrub. The well-known Queensland Bean, Entada scandens, is the seed of a creeper, and the long pods are often seen hanging down. The plant grows to the top of the highest trees. Cockatoos often eat the beans. The large parasitical fig trees are plentiful in the scrub, and were seen in all stages of growth, from the seedling sending down its thin roots from the fork of another tree, in which it had formed a lodgment, to the stately tree. As the seedling grows, its roots gradually increase in size and number, and after a time form a complete network round its doomed foster parent, which it slowly but surely kills, and as the wood gets rotten, the roots of the fig tree grow into it, and very soon it is completely destroyed, as will be seen in the picture. Its trunk is completely formed of roots, which give it a very curious appearance. Occasionally it sends down rootlets from its branches, which, taking root in the ground, form as it were another tree, although joined to the old one. We saw also another species of fig tree, which had its fruit growing in clusters from the trunk only. The beautiful Fan Palm, Lituala Muelleri, likewise grows here ; in some places the trees are very thick, and when rain falls or wind blows through them, the effect produced on their large leaves can be heard for some distance. The scrub where they grow thickly is generally clear of under- growth or creepers, and the ground covered with their large dead leaves. Several other species of palms are to be seen — namely, the Citrus Palm, Citriobalus multiflorus, the nuts of which are eaten by the natives, and the Pandanus Palm, which usually grows in the low-lying forest country — but none approach the Fan Palm in beauty. Occasionally the Tree Fern, Alsophila Cooperi, is to be found, especially on the high land of the mountain range. I saw also one fine specimen of the Alsophila australis, but this kind is nowhere numerous. The number of fruit-bearing trees in the scrub is very large, many of them being edible ; they vary THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 13 very much in colour and size, perhaps the brightest coloured being the Quandong, Santalum, sp., which is purple. The trees are a fair size, with a very dark leaf, and grow principally by streams ; during November the ground beneath them is often covered with fallen fruit. Orchids are plentiful, especially the Dendrobinm undulatum, being found principally near the top of the ranges, and grow either on the granite rocks or trunks of trees, in conjunction with Stag-horn Ferns, Bird's-nest Ferns, and pretty closely-climbing creepers. All through the scrubs creepers of various kinds are found, from the delicate little plant to the large ones which hang in festoons from the tops of the highest trees, and, being so large, often look like trees themselves. The photograph gives a fair idea of them. Wallabies are numerous in the scrub, and can often be heard hopping away, but the noise made walking over the dry leaves generally frightens them before they come in sight. The natives occasionally try to spear them by forming drives, burning the patches of long grass near the edge of the scrub where they are sometimes found, and throwing their spears at them as they try to escape into the scrub ; but they are not always successful in their hunts. The Tree-climbing Kangaroo, Dendrolagus Bennettianus, as before stated, is generally found on or near the top of these ranges, where the timber is not so high or difficult to climb. They remain during the day on the highest branches of a tree, and descend at night to pass from one tree to another. They seem to feed on Bird's- nest Ferns, leaves of certain trees, creepers, and probably on wild fruits. On one occasion one jumped from the top of the tree it was on to a rock below, a distance of about 40 feet, remained there perfectly still for a few seconds, then bounded away down the hill. I had disturbed it by climbing up the same tree, but did not notice it until about three feet away, when it jumped off. They seem never to miss their footing, and it is wonderful how they can judge distance when jumping. When hunting for them dogs are used, which track them by scent to the trees they are on, but if rain falls during the night it is more difficult. When one is found a native goes up, and either manages to catch it by the tail, or makes it jump to the ground, where other natives are on the lookout for it, and it seldom succeeds in escaping. It is then placed in a bag and carried off. The dogs often manage to bite them before their owners can prevent it, and half of those so caught generally die during the first few days of captivity from injuries received. When on the ground their tails are curved upwards, and do not as a rule rest on the ground as with ordinary kangaroos. Tlie Bandicoot, Bettongia, is occasionally to be found, either in hollow logs or in domed nests built of grass in a slight hollow on the ground, and the natives often catch them and use them for food. Native rats of several 14 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. kinds were, of course, everywhere, both in the open forest land and in the scrub, and were just as bad in the house as the European rat is ; nothing could be left about that they could possibly eat. If they found an egg they would quickly make a hole in it and devour the contents. We had two of different species in confine- ment, but getting together the larger, Hapalotis hirsutus, soon, unfortunately, killed the smaller, Hapalotis hemileucura. The rats often climb up the grenadilla vines and devour the fruit when ripe or nearly so ; very little seems to come amiss to them. The larger of the two above referred to I brought on alive to Melbourne. In the scrub one often found the hard native almond gnawed through by these animals to get at the kernel inside. I heard the melancholy howl of the Dingo, Canis dingo, on one occasion only, and the night following it took a turkey from close to the house and devoured it. Flying Foxes, Pteropus funereus, are numerous all over this country, and were frequently heard squealing at night when feeding on the eucalyptus blossom ; they appear to chew the flower up to get at the honey inside. I saw a few camped on a high tree in the scrub, hanging on by the claws of their hind feet. They often seemed busily en- gaged in cleaning or scratching themselves, and occasionally flew from one branch to another, but I saw no large rookery, such as I had seen in the mangroves on the banks of the Fitzroy River, not far from its delta, where many thousands of Pteropus camped, flying off as evening approached to their various feeding grounds, and passing high overhead in countless numbers. The quantity of fruit eaten and destroyed by so many must be enormous. Crocodiles, Crocodilus porosus, live in all the tidal rivers here, but are seldom seen. A black boy had been killed by one on the Bloomfield River shortly before my arrival. In Queensland they are always called Alligators. Not long ago 72 eggs were taken from one nest in the dry sand on a small island in the Endeavour River, not far from Cooktovvn. The small species, Crocodilus Johnsonii, is not found here. Domestic pigs, gone wild, are also numerous and very destructive to vegetable and other gardens if they get the chance. They live on roots, wild fruits, &c, &c. Pandanus Palms are often destroyed by them, and they never neglect to root up and take the eggs out of any Talegalla or Megapode's nest they come across. I only saw three Carpet Snakes, Morelia variegala, during my visit. One about 11 feet long we caught, and placing it in an old sugar mat, carried it off. On the way we stopped to gather a few quandongs and left the snake in the bag on the track, but on coming back a few minutes after we found she had made a hole in the bottom of the bag and was half-way out ; we soon got her back, however, and, carrying her to the house, placed her in a box. A few days afterwards she laid about 12 eggs, and carefully THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 15 coiled herself round them so as to completely cover them ; they were about the size of ducks' eggs, with a white leathery covering, and all of them connected one with the other. She and her eggs were brought on to Melbourne. One of the other two snakes was found by a black boy and killed, but although the blacks are very fond of its flesh, they would not eat this one, as the boy who found it had not reached manhood, nor been admitted into the full rights of the tribe. The third snake was found in the scrub and took refuge under the dead leaf of a Fan Palm, but as we were a long way from the house and had nothing to put it in, we left it alone. They are said to come about more after heavy showers of rain and during dry weather to lay up in hollow logs, &c. On one occasion only I saw a Black Snake, Pseudechys porphyriacus, in the scrub. It is much feared by the blacks, being very venomous. It was close to us when first noticed, but did not move until dis- turbed with a stick, when it quickly glided away. I saw several snakes; Tropidonotus picturatus, in the waters when going up the creeks through the scrub ; they are from two to three feet long. The Brown Tree Snakes, Dipsas fusca, were also often disturbed near water, and it was wonderful how they climbed the trees with apparently little support. On one occasion I had shot a Green Pigeon, Chalcophaps chrysochlora, which fell by a Lawyer Palm, and on picking up the bird I noticed the palm leaf I was almost touching was moving, and, looking closely at it, saw a brown snake, about five feet long, rapidly making its way along it to an adjacent tree, up which it soon climbed, taking refuge in the thick foliage near the top. They are non-venomous, and evidently live principally on small birds. They may often be mistaken for a stick, as they are of a dull brown colour, and appear to remain motionless when watching for their prey. On one occasion when on the beach at Cedar Bay, opposite the camp of Messrs. Meek and Barnard, I found a live specimen of the Eel-like Snake, Dv.pysurvs anguilliformis, which had been washed up on the sand. It was about three feet long, and being out of its natural element found a difficulty in travelling over the ground, but when put back in the sea it swam away with its head out of the water. This district is very rich in bird life, and all day long, and at night also, their varied notes may be heard, both in the forest country and especially in the scrubs. The Scrub Turkey, Talegallus Lathami, is plentiful on the ranges, but seldom comes to the low- lying country. Its mounds were frequently found ; they are composed almost entirely of leaves, which they scratch off the higher ground on the upper side of the nest, often going as far as 50 feet away. They lay large white eggs, with very granulated thin shells, apparently to the number of 16. These are generally laid to the depth of 18 inches, but they are said to lay their eggs deeper in wet weather than in dry. The size of the mounds 1G THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. varies considerably, and they seem to keep on adding to them during the whole breeding season. Like other mound-building birds, the young are quite able to take care of themselves as soon as hatched. Those taken by the blacks from the eggs just before hatching are sometimes brought in and reared. The Scrub Hen, Megapodius tumulus, is only found in the low-lying country, and makes very much larger mounds than the Talegalla. The same mound is used year after year, and is composed of earth, sticks, leaves, &c. The eggs are laid from 18 inches to 3 feet deep, and are of a pink colour, very similar in appearance and size to the Malice Hen, Leipoa ocellata. I saw many nests, the largest being 10 feet high by 25 feet in diameter at the base ; it contained an immense amount of material, having evidently been used for many years. We secured a good many eggs at different times. The temperature of the mound where the eggs were placed was 95°. These mounds, like those of the Talegalla, are often resorted to by reptiles and insects to lay their eggs in. These birds have great strength to enable them to scratch the material up of which their nest is composed. The blacks say the young birds find their way out of the nest, but I certainly should judge that they were liberated by the parent bird, as is the case witli the Mallee Hen. The fact of the young birds being often taken out of the egg would help to support this view, as otherwise they would be found making their way out of the mound, through the dirt, which I could never hear of their ever having been found doing. The same statement was made about the Mallee Hen, but it has been proved that the young cannot make their way out of the mound, and, if not liberated, die in the egg. The young birds generally stay with the old ones for a short time, and when all are hatched leave the vicinity of the nest ; these birds are often found on the islands along the northern coast, and we found them breeding on the North Barnard Islands in 1891. Like other birds of the same kind they generally roost on the top branches of the trees, flying from one branch to another till they get to the desired height. Occasionally the beautiful White-bellied Sea Eagle, Haliaetus leucogaster, was seen soaring high overhead, but they were not numerous. I heard of the locality of two of their nests on very high dead trees, but it was too late to visit them, as they generally lay in August. The White-breasted Sea Eagles, Haliaetus leuco- stnrnus, were much more numerous, but they likewise breed early in the season, laying three eggs. On one occasion on the Bloomfield River, I saw one plunge down from a considerable height and carry off a fish in its talons to a neighbouring dead tree. It is a curious fact that one of their nests is almost invariably found in the branches of the large trees in which the Shining Calornis, Calornis metattica, build their numerous clusters of nests. On one occasion I saw a specimen of the White Goshawk, THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 17 Astur Xovo-Hollandia, and it looked very pretty against the dark background of a scrub-covered mountain. I was fortunate in securing a clutch of two eggs of the Australian Goshawk, Astur approximans, not very far from the house. It had built up an old nest of last year. A pair of Goshawks, Astur cruentus, were often seen in the neighbourhood, but we could not discover their nest. I only secured two specimens of owls in the scrubs — one the large, dark-coloured Rufous Owl, Athene rufa, which was roosting during the day in some very thick scrub, but flew to a short distance away on our passing underneath, and so made its presence known. A Sooty Owl, Strix tenebricosus, was found in a similar way, and when shot we noticed it had lost every feather of its tail, and was altogether in a ragged condition. Half an egg shell was given me, which the blacks said belonged to the Powerful Owl, Athene strenua, and had been thrown out of the nest when the young birds hatched, but I did not see the bird myself. On the coast, about six miles from the house, very few sea birds were to be seen, they had apparently all gone to the outlying islands to breed on the mud flats. Pelicans, Pelecanus conspicillatus, •Curlews, Numenius Australis, and a few waders were seen. The Pelicans are said to breed on the Hope Islands, and on a sand- bank not far from there I saw hundreds of Crested Terns, Sterna media, nesting, but was unable to land. In the scrubs pigeons were very numerous, especially the Torres Straits Pigeons, Gar- pophaga luctuosa, which were often seen in large flocks flying to roost on the islands in the evening and returning in the morning. On the Hope Islands many hundreds were busy hatching and rearing their young, but few seemed to lay on the mainland. We only found one nest, high up in a large tree, with one fresh egg in. Out of the many hundreds I have seen I have never found more than one egg in any nest. The Allied Fruit Pigeon, Carpophaga assimilis, was often heard uttering its curious guttural double note in the leafy tops of the high trees, but though often heard it was seldom seen ; we found several of their nests, each of which had one egg in. The frail structures were often built on thin boughs overhanging the streams, and the birds were easily disturbed by anyone passing near the tree containing their nests, which otherwise would probably not have been noticed. Near the creeks, both in the open and scrub lands, but more often in the latter, we saw the Long-billed Green Ground Pigeon, Chalcophaps longirostris, and found its nest, and one egg, on a small tree on the banks of a stream. When camped on the banks of the Annan River, in the ranges, we were fortunate in finding the beautiful Superb Fruit Pigeon Ftilinopus superbvs, and secured a specimen as it sat on its nest, getting the egg uninjured. Two more nests were found on the top of a range in the vicinity, both built within ten feet of the 18 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. ground, and also another nest with a young one in not more than two feet from the ground, in a small bush. It is a puzzling thing why the egg does not fall out of the nest, it being composed of so few sticks that when the bird is not on it is very difficult to find. Near the same river we found two nests of Ewing's Fruit Pigeon, Ptilinopus Ewingii. One had a young one in, and the other a fresh egg ; they were built on small trees overhanging the water. We secured a specimen of the Brown Pheasant Pigeon, Macropygia phasianella, which is said to build on a Bird's- nest Fern and lay one egg, but we did not find a nest. The little Peaceful Dove, Geopelia tranquilla, was occasionally seen, in the open country only, and then generally on the ground. This bird is also found in the Wimmera District in Victoria, so has a wide range. I noticed two kinds of Friar Birds in the open country — the Silvery-crowned, Tropidorhynchus argenticeps, and the Hel- meted Friar Bird, Tropidorhynchus buceroides. Both were numerous, and commenced building about the end of October. They build similar nests, generally composed of grass and the bark of trees, and hang from the fork at the end of a bough. I got the nest and three eggs of the Silvery-crowned Leatherhead or Friar Bird at Cooktown, and the nest of the Helmeted Leatherhead at Townsville. The Northern Sphecotheres, Sphe- cotheres Jlaviventris, were very plentiful, associating with the Leatherheads. On one small gum tree we found five of their nests, also one Silvery-crowned Leatherhead's nest. The eggs were three in number, and the small nests were built of rootlets, hanging on a fork at the thin end of a branch, and generally impossible to get at. The eggs secured were pushed out of the nest by a native on the tree by means of a long thin stick, and I caught them in my hat as they fell. None were broken by this means, although some fell from a considerable height. The male and female birds differ considerably in colour, the former having a bright yellow breast and the latter a brown mottled one. A. pair of Crescent-marked Orioles, Mimeta Jiavocincta, were found nesting in a Melaleuca tree growing close to a waterhole. The nest was very similar to that of a Friar Bird, and had two eggs in on the point of hatching. Dronga Shrikes, Chibia bracteata,. were also plentiful in the open country, and were sometimes seen in the scrub. They have a very curious note, very similar to the Swainson's Graucalus, and which is difficult to describe. No nests were seen, it being evidently too early for them, but on my way down to Melbourne I heard of one which was being built on Magnetic Island, near Townsville. and have since received the nest and eggs from Mr. T. Gulliver. In the scrub the beautiful strong note of the Quoy's Butcher Bird, Cracticus Quoyii, was generally to be heard, the notes of the male and female birds being often heard in concert while busily engaged looking for large grasshoppers, THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 19 caterpillars, eggs and young of other birds, &c, &c, which con- stitute their food. Rifle Birds, Ptilorhis Victories, were fairly plentiful in the scrubs, especially near the coast, and they were by no means shy birds. We had great difficulty in finding their nests, but one was discovered by the blacks when clearing a place for their camp, with two beautifully marked eggs in. The nests are very loosely put together, and hence are built in some situa- tion that holds them secure, either in a thick bunch of creepers, a Pandanus Palm or a Fan Palm, the latter seemingly being the favourite. When I left another nest was being built in a Cordyline, only about seven feet from the ground. The hen bird when sitting is not easily disturbed. Their harsh single note was often heard. They seem to be very local. I saw two of them trying to drive a Quoy's Butcher Bird away from the neighbourhood of their nest, and then they uttered a different note to their usual one. In building they seem to have a weakness for the cast skins of snakes, as in two instances I saw pieces of snake skin worked into their nest, one piece being about three feet long, most of which was hanging loose. I had heard of this habit before in the Cardwell district. I noticed two species of Graucalus, the beautiful Swainson's Graucalus, Graucalus Swainsonii, and the Varied Graucalus, Graucalus mentalis, but was only successful in finding the eggs of the Varied Graucalus, both at Duaringa, Townsville, and Bloomfield. A pair of the Swainson's Graucalus had a nest in the neighbourhood, but it contained young ones. Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, Cacatua galerita, were very numerous, both in the scrub and open country. King Parrots, Aprosmictus scapulatiis, were occasionally seen; they nested in holes in gum trees that grew in the patches of open country on the higher parts of the mountains. Blue Mountain Parrots, Trichoglossus Nova'-Hol- landice, were very numerous, their shrill call being heard at all times of the day, as they fed on the honey-laden blossoms, both in the scrub and open forest country. About two dozen roosted on a eucalyptus sapling about five yards from the house, and I noticed just before dark that they all roosted in pairs, one close alongside the other. In the open country we secured a nest with two eggs in. The Scaly-breasted Lorikeet, Trichoglossus chloro- lepidopus, and a very small Parrakeet, were occasionally seen, but I was unable to obtain a specimen of the latter. On two occasions only did I see the Channel-bill Cuckoo, Scyt.hrojys Nov«>-Hollandi(f ; these birds lay their eggs in the nests of Crows, Magpies, and Sparrowhawks; but the Pheasant Coucals, Centropus phasianus, were numerous, and their curious deep note was often heard. One of their nests, with young in, was destroyed by a bush fire not far from the house ; it was built in the long grass, they also build in the thick heads of the Pandanus Palm, laying 20 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. white eggs. This bird, as is well known, is the only Cuckoo in Australia which builds its own nest ; it looks a bulky bird when lazily flying from one bush to another, but it is nearly all feathers, and is in reality not large. The monotonous call of the Brush Cuckoo, Cuculus insperatus, was often heard during the day, and also throughout the night, keeping company with the Long-tailed Nightjar, Caprimulgus macrurus, as the latter uttered its curious note, somewhat like the sound of chopping, hence its local name of the " Chop-chop " Bird. I searched a good deal for the single egg of this bird, which it lays on the bare ground, generally in the shade of a clump of small timber, but was only successful in finding young ones, it evidently being rather late for eggs. Much of the open country also had been burnt, and the fire would probably have destroyed any eggs it passed over, except where the ground was very bare. One of the most numerous birds in the scrub was the Lewin's Honeyeater, Ptilotis Lewinii, and when sitting quietly near any stream they would come to within a few feet of one, take a dip in the clear water, and then hurry off again. Only one nest was found, and that a few days before I left; it had two fresh eggs in. In the open country a good many Dusky Honeyeaters, Glyciphila modesta, were seen, and several of their dome-shaped pendent nests were found in Melaleuca saplings, generally about eight feet from the ground. A nest and two eggs of the little Obscure Honeyeater, Myr omelet obscura, was also found in the open country, placed high up in an Iron- wood tree, and very difficult to detect among the bright green leaves. When in the scrub for the first time, many curious notes attract one's attention, but none perhaps is more unlike a bird's call than that of the Cat Bird, Ailuredus mactdosus, but I cannot say that I could detect the faintest resemblance in their cry to any sound made by a cat. When the bird utters its call it straightens its body and throws its head back, giving it a very grotesque appearance. Their nests are generally built at the top of a small thin tree in the scrub, and are not often more than fifteen feet from the ground ; one nest we found was only about two feet from the ground, but that was exceptionally low. They lay two cream-coloured eggs, destitute of any markings. They are not shy birds, and on one occasion I saw one speared by a native in some thick scrub. Honeyeaters and other small birds often try to drive them away from the neighbourhood of their nests, so they evidently are not above robbing their neighbours occasionally of eggs and young. The bright-coloured Dragoon Bird, or Pitta, Pitta strepitans, is another bird which has a curious cry, and several pairs of them were noted in the scrub. The nest and eggs of this bird were taken shortly after I left, being built on the ground alongside the butt of a tree. Another numerous scrub bird is the Rusty- THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 21 breasted Shrike Thrush, Colluricincla rufigaster, its beautiful clear note being often heard, and several nests were found, generally within a few feet of the ground. The photograph shown was taken of a nest in situ. They are not easy to come across, and are generally first noticed by seeing the bird fly off. These birds do not seem to live near the tops of the higher mountains, but are there replaced by what I took to be the Brown Shrike Thrush, Colluricincla brunnea, a bird which has a stronger and even more melodious note. They are destructive to the eggs and young of other birds, and the natives say they destroy their own eggs if disturbed. On one occasion on our way to Romeo we passed by a nest close to the track ; the bird flew off, and we noticed two eggs in the nest, but did not touch them. On our return shortly afterwards we found one of the eggs broken, which may have been done by the parent. In the open country the Laughing Jackass, Dacelo gigas, was often seen and heard, and made its nest by burrowing a hole in the White Ants' nests high up on the trees. Leach's Kingfisher, Dacelo Leachii, was less numerous ; it makes its nest in the hollow of branches. Macleay's Kingfishers, Halcyon Macleayi, were plentiful, laying also in a burrow in the White Ants' nests, while along the creeks were seen the Red-backed Kingfisher, Halcyon pyrrhopygius, busily engaged in making excavations at the time I left. The beautiful Little Kingfisher, Alcyone pusilla, which also makes its nest in a burrow on the bank, is the smallest of Australian King- fishers. In the scrub was often heard the note of the White- tailed Kingfisher, Tanysiptera sylvia. They generally arrive here in October from New Guinea to breed, and for their nests burrow holes in the small mounds on the ground made by White Ants. These mounds are never large, rarely being over two feet and a half high, and I was told are only found on the coast ranges, and that these Kingfishers never make their nest anywhere else than in them. As soon as the birds have made their burrows die White Ants carefully fill up all the entrances from their mound into the bird's excavation, and consequently never interfere with the bird in any way. When the birds have left with their young the insects evidently fill up the hole again, as old burrows are rarely ever found. The Shining Calornis, Galomis metallica, were plentiful, and build their nests in great numbers on one tree, generally choosing one of the largest trees in the scrub, and one that has no other tall trees growing very close to it. Their nests were in clusters, and they were hard at work constructing them during my visit. Many get blown down on to the ground, and their eggs occasionally get upset, and are found broken underneath. These birds are very noisy, and it is easy to tell when one is in the neighbourhood of their nests. They go about in flocks, even when gathering material off the palm trees for THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. building. They are locally called Starlings, and have very much the appearance of those birds when flying. The trees are, as a rule, very difficult to climb. The ground under them is generally covered with the dead seeds of various fruits, and also infested with the very small red Scrub Ticks, which come up one's legs in hundreds, and soon make their presence felt by burrowing into the skin and raising an irritating lump, yet they are so small that they are often difficult to detect. When I was taking photographs under a large tree, my black companions carefully watched me from a distance, not wishing to suffer the inconvenience I afterwards did from these insects. On several occasions, in the open country, we flushed the Least Swamp Quail, Excalfatoria australis, generally in pairs, and in the scrub the Chestnut-backed Quail, Turnix castanotus, but very few of the latter were seen. The curious nests of the Great- billed Gerygone, or Flood Bird, Gerygone magnirostris, were noticed hanging from slender creepers over the streams, they were sometimes high up, and at other times only a few feet above the water. They get their name from the nests having the appearance of a long bunch of rubbish left by a receding flood ; these are about two feet long, with the nest at the lower end — a wonderful structure for such a tiny bird to build. The Yellow- throated Sericornis, Sericornis citreogularis, builds its large hanging nest in the thickest part of the scrub, and we found several. One was composed chiefly of moss and skeleton leaves it had picked up out of a dry waterhole; the combination was very pretty. The Large-billed Sericornis, S. magnirostris, was also seen in the scrub, and its nest and eggs on two occasions found. We found also several nests of a Gerygone in the scrub, but curiously enough they were always built within a foot or so of a hornet's nest, and we had to drive the hornets away with smoke before venturing to touch the nest. The birds must have some reason for building so close to them, and it would be interesting to find out what that reason is. The Large-headed Robins, Eopsaltria capito, were noticed and the nest and eggs found. This species was found in the scrub at the foot of the ranges, but another variety, Eopsaltria nana was found higher up towards the tops of the mountains ; both build somewhat similar nests, and generally on a Lawyer Palm, not far from the ground; the structure is very pretty and compact, gener- ally having moss on the outside. The Pied Grallinas, Grallina picata, were seen occasionally in the open country, but nowhere were they numerous. Several kinds of Flycatchers were noticed in the scrub and open country. A Frilled- necked Flycatcher, Arses, sp., was seen in the scrub on several occasions, its black and white plumage being quickly noticed ; a specimen was secured, and it has since proved new to THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 23 science. The Black-fronted Flycatcher, Monarcha trivirgata, was fairly plentiful, with its more sombre colouring of dark grey and black, and several of their pretty cup-shaped nests were found, generally built on the topmost branches of a small shrub, about four feet from the ground. They fasten empty spider- cocoons on the outside of the nest, the white looking very pretty against the green moss of which the outside of the nests is often composed ; we always found their nests near a watercourse. The nest of the Yellow- tinted Flycatcher, Micrceca Jiavigaster, was found in the open country by Mr. Frank Hislop, but it was so small and so similar in colour to the branch on which it was built, that it was very difficult to detect; it was only noticed by seeing the bird flying off it. It had one egg in, partially incubated. This egg is new to science, which is not to be wondered at, seeing how hard the small nest is to see ; it is probably one of the smallest of Australian birds' nests. There was only room for one egg in the nest. The Shining Flycatcher, Piezorhynchus nitidus, was seen occasionally, and its nest and eggs procured at Ingham by Mr. P. Cochrane, who kindly sent them to me. Several other varieties of Flycatchers were observed in the open country, and their nests were more often found on a dead branch of a tree than on a green one. Near the top of the ranges we secured a Spalding's Orthonyx, Orthonyx Spal- dingii, and were fortunate in finding its nest and one white egg. The nest had the appearance at first of a Lyre Bird's, being built on the ground, but the structure was composed out- wardly of leaves, with a thick lining of moss, and situated at the foot of a small tree. The photograph taken gives a good idea of its position. In the thick scrub, well up the mountains, we on two or three occasions heard the call of the Coach-whip Bird, Psophodes crepitans, but the note uttered is slightly different from our Victorian one ; one nest was secured with two fresh eggs in. Several White-vented Wood Swallows, Artamus albiventris, were seen, and one pair had their nest in a slight hollow of a dead bough well up in a gum tree, and four eggs were laid. Four birds were often seen about the nest, but I presume it only be- longed to two of them. Once when high up on a spur of Mount Finlayson we came across the playing place of the Tooth-billed Bower Bird, Scenopoeus dentirostris ; it was a clear space on the ground in the scrub, and plentifully adorned with coloured leaves, land shells, &c. I was unable to take a photograph of it. There were no sticks stuck in the ground as with the other species. We saw two of the birds. The Red-backed Superb Warblers, Malurus cruentatus, were very plentiful, and were often seen in small flocks of five or six, generally keeping in the high grass, and on one occasion I saw a few Blue and Black Superb Warblers, Malurus cyanochlamys, in the edge of a thick patch 24 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. of scrub bordering the road. Several nests of the beautiful little Sun Birds, Cinmyris grenata, were found ; one was built within two feet of my bedroom door, and the young reared during my visit. In the open country several Lace Lizards, Varanus Gouldii, were secured. They live in burrows in the sandy soil, generally with two or three entrances ; on one occasion we saw one kill a small snake about a foot long, which it would doubtless have eaten if it had not been disturbed. I have often known of snakes feeding on small lizards, but did not before know that these large lizards turned the tables on small snakes. In the country near Duaringa these reptiles were generally found in the neighbour- hood of lagoons. Water lizards were found occasionally about the small streams near the coast, and prettily marked lizards, Varanus punctatus, about nine inches long, were often disturbed, when — as with this class of reptiles — they at once took refuge up a tree, carefully keeping out of view as they rapidly ascended the trunk. One small lizard, popularly called the Bilbil, was heard in the scrubs, especially after_ rain, uttering a loud call for such a little thing ; in some places they seemed very numerous. A pretty little red lizard, Liolepisma fuscum, was nearly always to be seen, especially in the scrubs ; they were very fearless, and if one sat quiet and made a slight rustling among the leaves, they would come up to see what caused the rustling. They are very fond of eating grasshoppers, and on several occasions I saw them capture and devour their prey, shaking the insects when first caught. Gecko Lizards were sometimes seen, but were not numerous. In the creeks the blacks used occasionally to spear eels and other fish, and when bathing in the creeks in the scrub and sitting still for a short time small fish often came round and amused themselves by nibbling one. In the saltwater inlets large fish were often seen. The natives use a four-pronged spear to capture them with. Beetles were not numerous at this time of the year, and those we found were mostly in rotten wood, the large black Cassalus teres being very common, as was the large longicorn beetle, Xixuthrus nycticorax. The latter insect was invariably got out of the surface roots of a palm tree, and the beautiful spotted longicorn out of holes in the trunk of the Pandanus Palm. We noticed the butterflies were often much more plentiful in some places than others ; those seen in the scrub were hard to capture. The beautiful green butterfly, Ornitlioptera Jxichmondiana, was seen, but it always flew high and well out of reach. The blue Papilio Ulysses was fairly numerous in places, and the beautiful colours of many of the Lepidoptera fliittng about added much interest to the scrub scenes. Many of the moths were very large. One specimen of the Atlas Moth was shot with dust shot, as it flew high up among the tree- tops, being chased by numbers of small birds. Another moth THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 25 here destroys most of the oranges by making holes in them and devouring their contents. It often does the same to the grena- dillas. Large dark brown coloured moths were occasionally disturbed in the scrub, but they could hardly be detected unless they flew ; the markings of many were very beautiful. We saw very few scorpions, and those were not large. Land shells were plentiful in places. The natives use the larger ones as an article of food, and those found in the scrub are different to those found in the open country. I was fortunate in getting a beautiful new species, which has been described by Mr. Hedley, of the Aus- tralian Museum, Sydney, and named Papuina cerea. I only succeeded in getting the one specimen, and that I found in the scrub. Of the freshwater shells found one was new to Australia, Neritina variegata. Small crayfish were to be found in all the freshwater creeks, the Telplmsa brassa and Scopimera globosa being the most numerous. Frogs were found in all sorts of places, dry and wet ; in the dry, hot, open country we often came across specimens of the Hyla Peronii. One large frog had its habita- tion in a long hollow palm, used as a portion of the fence near the house, and its croak was often heard, especially during showery weather. Other varieties were found in rocky creeks in the scrub. Several kinds of Cicada? were heard, both large and small, but I was unable to secure specimens. I noticed in one part of the scrub that one species of these insects seemed all to utter their shrill sound at the same time, and then pause and again utter it, the many hundreds of them seeming to act in concert. Both the curious stick insects and leaf insects were occasionally noticed, but more often escaped detection from their similarity to their surroundings. Spiders were very numerous. A large variety frequently made its web right across the openings in the scrub over the creeks, often ten feet or more in breadth, and on one occasion I saw a large leaf, which was falling to the ground, get entangled in one of the webs. It took the spider a quarter of an hour to dis- entangle it. I noticed a small cobweb which had a perfect cross just above the centre of the web — it was made of cobwebs, thickly woven together. White Ants (Termites) were very numerous; and two different kinds of mounds were plentiful in this neigh- bourhood. One was of a large, bulky structure, often reach- ing the height of eight feet, and found in the open country only, and the other was a small one, of a conical shape, always built in the scrub on the coast ranges, and not exceed- ing two and a half feet in height. It is in this structure that the White-tailed Kingfisher builds its nest. In the larger kinds of mounds, first mentioned, rats, lizards, &c, &c, often made their homes. Some distance away from here, in the open country, the curious mounds of the Termites called the Meridian White 26 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Ants are found, but I was unable to visit them. They are said to build long, narrow structures, always running from east to west, and never to vary from that direction. A small kind of hornet is often found in the scrubs, and is very troublesome. It builds its pretty combs in varying situations, but not far from the ground, frequently hanging on the lower side of some large leaf, and difficult to detect. The first intimation one often has of their presence is by their quickly alighting on one's shoulders and arms and stinging sharply, which generally has the effect of at once driving their enemy away. When securing birds' nests in their immediate proximity we used first to drive them off with smoke. Ants were everywhere, and in great variety, es- pecially the Green Ant, a very pugnacious species, which builds its nest of leaves in the trees. Fortunately, they are not very venomous, but for all that they bite very hard and will not leave go ; if disturbed they at once go for the intruder. Their nests are often large, and made of leaves fastened together with a white kind of substance. This ant swarms everywhere, and is a troublesome pest. The natives secure their nests and emptying all the larvae into a dilly bag, squeeze it out into water ; it makes a very acid drink. On one occasion only did I see the Bull-dog Ant, Myrmecia pyriformis, and the Hopper Ant, Myrmecia, sp., and that was on a small patch of clear country surrounded by dense scrub. We camped there one wet night, and after the blacks had built a humpy of Lawyer Palm leaves to keep out the rain, we discovered two Bull-dog Ants' nests close by, so had to amuse ourselves by killing all stray ones, and making a fire on top of the nests to keep the others from coming out. Only one of my companions felt one during the night ; he gave a yell and jumped up with an ant hanging on to one of his fingers. It banished sleep from our eyes for some time, as we did not know who would be the next to feel one. A nest of Hoppers was also about two feet from the humpy, but they did not trouble us. I noticed their abdomen was mostly white, instead of being black like the Victorian species. There was a kind of very small red ant, which used to get everywhere, into one's boxes, &c. ; as, being so minute, they wanted very little room to get in, it made very little difference to them whether the box was shut or not. They destroyed any butterflies, moths, &c, &c, they could find, and were a source of great annoyance. A small black ant was also nearly as troublesome, getting at every- thing in the shape of food very quickly, and infesting the honey- laden flowers. A splendid collection of Formicidse could be made here. There are said to be eight kinds of native bees in this district ; they are all small and sting very slightly, though some more severely than others, and the different kinds vary in size and colour. They build their hives in various places — some THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 27 in small hollow branches of trees, others in cavities in the trunks of the trees, others again in clay banks, &c, &c. The form of the honeycomb also varies, and the honey itself is not equal to that produced by the European bee, being more liquid and darker in colour. The European bee, Apis mellifica, has already spread throughout this district, and it is surprising to see how hard the blacks work in cutting down a big tree to get a hive, otherwise out of reach, as they are very fond of honey. The day before I left "Wyalla" I paid a visit to some natives encamped in the scrub not far off. They are continually shifting their quarters, never staying more than a few weeks at one place. They are a fine race of natives. When in their camps, and away from Europeans, they wear no clothing, but they are rapidly becoming semi-civilized, in consequence of so frequently coming in contact with Europeans, and are perfectly safe to be with. They do a little work now and again for the settlers or tin miners, who are scattered throughout the country. The weapons they use are much better than those made by the Victorian blacks, and most of the spears are about nine feet six inches long, barbed, and more or less coloured near the ends with red and white chalk. For binding on these barbs they use either sinews from wallaby tails or cord made from the bark of trees, and cover the binding over with a substance made from the gum of the Grass Tree. Wommeras, used for throwing the spears with, are about two feet long, and altogether different in shape from those which were formerly made by the Victorian blacks. Their shields are large, the specimen I have being three feet eight inches long by one foot four inches broad. They also use waddies and a wooden sword, the specimen of the latter shown being four feet three inches long by six inches broad. They have a rude kind of musical instrument, a straight hollow trunk of a sapling, nine feet six inches long by two and three-quarter inches in diameter at one end and two inches at the other. It is naturally hollow, and not done artificially ; it is very seldom that trees suitable for the purpose are found. They blow through it as one would through a fog horn, the noise being made by the blower. It is heard a good way off, and has a musical kind of sound which at a distance is very like a flute. It is the only musical instrument I ever heard of being used by Australian natives. The one referred to I got in exchange for some articles of clothing, and it is on view here this evening with the weapons. It was when the blacks were clearing the scrub for this camp that they found the Rifle Bird's nest and two eggs. The scrubs here are very beautiful, but it is almost impossible to describe the splendid and dense mass of vegetation. The various trees grow close together with buttress-like roots, and on most of them are numerous creepers, growing to their very 28 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. summits and forming a dense gloomy shade. The creeks and mountains are often very rough for travelling over, in consequence of the rocky nature of the country, mostly granite. In addition to the Talegella and Megapode, the Australian Cassowary also in- habits these scrubs, but when captured and placed in confinement it invariably goes blind unless shade is provided, as its eyes cannot stand the bright light of the sun for long. The overland road from Bloomfield to Cooktown is very rough, and a narrow zig-zag track has been made over the mountains. It is very steep in places and the ground covered with loose stones, boulders, &c, so much so that riders have to lead or drive their horses both up and down, it not being safe to ride them. The track is walled in on either side with dense scrub, and when over the range from the Bloomfield side passes along the banks of the Annan River for some distance. This is a beautiful stream, running over a solid granite rocky bottom with deep pools in many places, worn in the rock by the action of loose stones, most of them nearly circular ; one was only two feet in diameter and about fifteen feet deep, and almost circular, the loose stones being at the bottom. The time of my visit was the dry season, but it must look much more beautiful during the rainy season, with a larger body of water dashing down the often steep rocky inclines. The banks are lined with dense scrub on either side. On 1 6th November I bid adieu to the family of my kind host, Mr. Hislop, whose sons had so ably helped me in collecting during my visit, and reluctantly left this splendid collecting ground on my return journey, bringing with me six Tree-climbing Kangaroos, Dendrolagus Bennettianus. Two unfortunately died a few days after leaving. On arriving at Brisbane, Mr. de Vis informed me that the Tree-climbing Kangaroos I had were not Dendrolagus Lumholtzii, but a new variety which he had des- cribed and named Dendrolagus Bennettianus, after the late Dr. Bennett. I arrived in Melbourne on 30th November, and, with the exception of the two Tree-climbing Kangaroos before mentioned which succumbed, brought everything else safely to their destina- tion, thanks to the kind help of Captain Lee and the officers of the s.s. Arawatta. The stock consisted of : — Four Dendrolagus ; one Parry's Wallaroo ; two Carpet Snakes and eggs ; three Leach's Kingfishers, kindly given by Mr. E. A. C Olive, of Cooktown ; lizards, rats, &c, (Sec. ; and all are now doing well in the Melbourne Zoological Gardens, the Tree Kangaroos especially being a source of great interest. Sixty-two limelight views from photographs taken by the author were exhibited in illustration of the paper. The following lists of specimens collected at " Wyalla," Bloom- THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 29 field River, have been kindly furnished by the heads of depart- ments at the Australian Museum, Sydney, except the lizards, by Mr. C. Frost, F.L.S., and the Lepidoptera, by Mr. J. Kershaw, of the National Museum, Melbourne : — Vertebrates. Mammalia. — Chiroptera — Nyctophilas timorensis, Geoff. ; Ves- perugo rumulis, Gray ; Taphozous australis, Gould. Rodentia — Mas (.' lineolatus). Marsupialia — Sininthojisis leucopus, Gray. — Edgar R. Waite. Lizards. — Geckonidas — CEdura Lesueuri, D. and Bibr. ; CE. marmorata, Gray ; Gehyra variegata, D. and Bibr. Agamidse — GonyocepJialus, sp. (young), Diporophera bilineata, Gray. Varanidse . — Varanus Gouldii, Gray ; V. jpunctatus, Gray. Scincidce-^-Himilia isolepis, Blgr. ; Liole/jisma fuscum, Gray ; L. Beccarii, Peters and Doria ; Ablepharus Boutonii, Desj. ; A. Boutonii, var. Peroral; and Tropidophorus Queensland^, De Vis. — C. Frost. Batrachia. — Ecaudata — Bana papua, Lesson; Hyla Peronii, Bibr.; H. lato-palmata, Giinther; and Hylella, sp. (young specimen). — J. J. Fletcher and Edgar R. Waite. Insect a. The following orders and genera were represented, but in many cases the specimens were damaged or immature, so that their identification is uncertain : — Coleoptera — Figulus, Batocera, Clytanthus, Amarygmus. Orthoptera — Mantis, Anostostoma, Truxalis, Phyllopterus, Pha- neroptera, Locusta. Neuroptera — Chrysopha. Hemiptera — Tectocoris, Coreus, Spudaeus, Reduvius, Dindymus, Ploiaria. Hymenoptera — Stilbum, Scolia, Sphex, Mutilla. Diptera — Rutilia, Ornithomyia. — F. A. A. Skuse. Lepidoptera. — About 40 species were obtained, of which the following are the more important : — Rhopalocera — Papilio Ulysses, L. ; Hamadryas zoilus, Fabr. ; Messaras prosope, Fabr. ; Cynthia ada, Butl. ; Danis seba, Boisd. ; Hypochrysops eucletus, Feld. Heterocera — Daphnis protrudens, Feld. ; Team Barnardii, Luc. ; Erebus crepuscular ia, Dru. ; Strophidia sondaicata, Gu. ; Euschenta mars, Boisd.; Lagoptera plumifera ; Grammodes anunoina, Cr. ; and Potamophora manlia, Cr. — Jas. A. Kershaw. Crustacea. Scopimera globosm, de Haan. ; Telphusa crassa, M. Edw. ; Epixauthus frontalis, M. Edw. ; Gelasimus vocans, Rumph ; Palaemon ornatus, Oliver ; Chelonobia testudinaria, L. ; and Macrophthalmus, sp. (immature). — Thos. Whitelegge. 30 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. MOLLUSCA. The small collection of shells gathered by Mr. Le Souef con- tained two species of great interest — a land shell new to science, and a freshwater shell not before recorded from Australia. The remainder are well known and call for no remarks. Land Shell. — Papuind cerea, Hedley, n. sp. Shell thin, trans- lucent ; contour trochoidal. Colour waxen white, becoming yellowish on the third and fourth whorls, encircled below the suture by an opaque white thread, nowhere are translucent lines or spaces visible. Sculpture. — Surface of a waxen polish ; transverse growth lines can be detected by the unaided eye, and spiral grooves, almost effaced above but plainer on the base, may be deciphered with a lens. Whorls 5^, flattened, regularly increasing, the last constituting five-eighths of the shell's height, angled at the periphery, descending con- siderably and abruptly at the aperture, gibbous at the point of flexure. Suture impressed ; aperture very oblique, anterior margin waved ; columella oblique, wide, extending nearly to the angle of the aperture, subtruncate below. A thin transparent shining callus extends over the imperforate axis to the insertion of the anterior margin of the lip. Height, i^}4, rnaj. diam. 16, min. diam. 14 mm. Habitat. — One specimen occurred to Mr. Le Souef in a scrub on a coast range near the Bloomfield River, about two miles inland, just at the back of Cedar Bay, North Queensland. The accompany- ing figure, of the natural size, was drawn by the writer from the type ; it shows the shell as viewed from the front and the side. Type in the Australian Museum. Other Australian Papuina are poiretiana, Pfeiffer, Macgillivrayi, Forbes, Bidwilli, Pfeiffer, fucata, Pfeiffer, conscendens, Cox, and folicola, Hedley (= Bidivilli, Cox, not of Pfeiffer). From these and from the foreign members of the genus the novelty is very distinct. To say that it represents a line of differentiation midway between Macgillivrayi and conscendens would be perhaps the best guess at its systematic position. To match the blade-like exten- sion of the columella we should have to seek till in the Solomons we found its analogue in ambrosia ; the puffed ridge where the last whorl commences to descend recalls Biduilli ; the wave of the anterior lip, more developed in Macgillivrayi and Tayloriana, culminates in the fang of naso ; these features, and the gloss and hue of wax, which suggested the specific name, afford a ready recognition to the newest Papuina. Freshwater Shells, from the Bloomfield River. — Neritina variegata, Lesson. Two adult and, except as to their eroded THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 31 apices, well-preserved examples collected by Mr. Le Souef seem to be the first of this species ever recorded from Australia. Beyond this continent it is reported by von Martens ("Con- chylien Cabinet" (2), Band II., Abth. 10, pp. 99, 100) from the Nicobars, Java, Sumatra, the Moluccas, New Guinea, New Ire- land, New Caledonia, Fiji, and Samoa; by Guppy ("Solomon Islands," p. 346) from the Solomons ; and the Australian Museum possesses a specimen collected by Brazier at Aneiteum, New Hebrides. Associated with AT. variegata were Melanin Denisoniensis, Brot. ; M. balonnensis, Conrad; Bulinus yectorosus, Conrad ; B. pectorosus, var. pyramidata, Sowerby ; and Unio depressus, Lamarck. Saltwater Shells, from Cooktown. — Nerita lineata, Chemnitz, Littorina scabra, Linn. ; L. undulata, Gray ; Vertagus obeliscus, Brugiere; Nassa coronata, Brugiere; Ricinula viarginatra, Blainville, and Tapes variegata, Sowerby. — C. Hedley. ARTICLES OF INTEREST TO VICTORIAN NATURx\L- ISTS IN RECENT PUBLICATIONS RECEIVED. In "Proceedings Royal Society of Victoria" vol. vi., new series : — " Notes on the Eocene Strata of the Bellarine Peninsula, with Brief References to Other Deposits," by T. S. Hall, M.A., and G. B. Pritchard. Discusses the geological age of the strata, and gives lists of fossils obtained, also locality map. "The Lizards Indigenous to Victoria," by A. H. S. Lucas, M.A., and C. Frost, F.L.S. Describes 44 species belong- ing to 22 genera and 5 families, with plate of two species new to science — Emoa Sp>enceri and Siaphos Maccoyi — named by the authors. " Further Notes on the Glacial Deposits of Bacchus Marsh," by G. Officer, B.Sc, and L. Balfour, B.A. "Further Notes on Australian Hydroids, with Descriptions of Some New Species," by W. M. Bale, F.R.M.S. Gives notes and descriptions of 31 species, 7 being new to science. " Notes on the Trawling Expedition off Lakes Entrance," by T. S. Hart, M.A. Gives lists of the specimens obtained. " An Operculum from the Lilydale Limestone," by R. Etheridge, jun. Gives description and plate of this fossil. " Additional Notes on the Lilydale Limestone," by Rev. A. W. Cressvvell, M.A. " The Largest Australian Trilobite Hitherto Discovered," by R. Etheridge, jun. Describes and* figures a supposed Trilo- bite recently found at Delatite, Victoria. 32 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. NOTICES OF NEW BOOKS. Victorian Butterflies, and How to Collect Them. Part II. By E. Anderson and F. Spry. Melbourne, 1894. Price 3s. We are now in receipt of the second and concluding part of the above work, which fully bears out the remarks bestowed upon it in a brief review in the Victorian Naturalist, vol. ix., p. 186. The part under notice comprises the families Lycaenidse and Hesperidse, and extends to 50 pages. These families are without doubt the most difficult of the Rhopalocera to deal with, and the authors are to be congratulated upon the excellent way in which they have popularly described the 47 species enumerated. Owing to revision of the synonyms, and naming one or two previously unnamed species, this, the latest list of Victorian butterflies, is somewhat different to that given in the Victorian Naturalist, vol. ix., p. 121. Notes of the larva;, food-plants, and habits are given, and illustrations of nearly every species are given, in many cases with both sexes and a view of the underside and of the larva, and altogether the work will do much to clear up the uncertainties of position, &c, which have existed for so long respecting these small but exceedingly beautiful insects. Those lepidopterists who have not already secured the first part can now obtain the complete work at the reduced price of five shillings, or in cloth for one shilling more. We trust there will be a good demand for the work, and so to some extent recoup the authors for the necessary expense con- sequent on bringing out a work of this description, which we hope will find a place in the library of every town in the colony, so as to tend to foster a love for the natural history of our own country. The trustees of the Melbourne Exhibition Building have recently issued an excellent guide to the contents of the aquarium, museum collections, and picture galleries under their charge. The portion devoted to the aquarium, some 60 pages, is very fully illustrated with drawings of the inhabitants of the tanks, and con- tains descriptive notes of their habits, &c. The handbook has been compiled by Mr. Jas. E. Sherrard, the secretary to the trustees. Another useful little handbook, relating to the botany of Victoria, is " An Illustrated Description of Thistles, &c, included within the Provisions of the Thistle Act, 1890," issued by the Department of Agriculture, Victoria. It contains descriptions of nine species of thistles, or allied plants, with a coloured plate of each species, giving botanical details. Copies of this publication can be had by farmers and others interested on application to the Department. THE f^ictovian %JLatxxvixli&t* Vol. XL— No. 2. MAY, 1894. No. 126. FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. The ordinary monthly meeting was held in the Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, 14th May, 1S94. The president, Mr. H. T. Tisdall, F.L.S., occupied the chair, and there was an attend- ance of some 70 members and visitors. librarian's report. The hon. librarian reported the receipt of the following dona- tions to the library :— " Dried Victorian Plants," 9 vols., from Mr. H. R. Hogg ; " Illustrated Descriptions of Thistles," " Report on Rust in Wheat Experiments," &c, from the Department of Agri- culture, Victoria ; " Victorian Butterflies," by E. Anderson and F. Spry, part ii., from the authors; Geelong Naturalist, iii., 3, from Gordon College Science Association ; " Proceedings Linnean Society of New South Wales," vol. viii. (new series), parts 2 and 3, from the Society ; " Journal of Bombay Natural History Society," viii., 3, from the Society ; " Transactions of Nova Scotian Institute of Science," i., 2, from the Institute ; " The North American Species of Gayophytum and Boisduvalia," by W. Trelease, from the Missouri (U.S.A.) Botanical Garden ; and " Nature Notes," April, 1894, from the Selborne Society. excursion report. A report of the excursion to Coburg was received from the leader, Mr. G. Sweet. The weather being threatening, few members attended, but a most enjoyable afternoon was spent in examining the columnar basalt in the Merri Creek. The basalt occupies a depression in the Upper Silurian rocks, probably caused by their erosion previous to its deposition. A good example of a pavement of geometric design was also seen. The columns are seen to have 4, 5, 6, and 7 sides, the majority being five-sided. meeting for practical work. The hon. secretary reported that a meeting for practical work was held on the 23rd April, when there was a fair attendance. The course in Practical Botany was continued by Mr. J. Shephard. who took as the type Marchantia for his subject. election of members. On a ballot being taken, Miss Chambers and Master R. Grey were duly elected members of the Club. 34 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. GENERAL BUSINESS. After the nomination of office-bearers for the year 1894-5 had been made, Messrs. D. Best and J. T. Gillespie were elected to audit the Club's accounts for the year 1893-4. PAPER READ. By Mr. C. Frost, entitled " Notes on the Habits and Senses of Spiders, Part 2." The author dealt mainly with the subject of web-making, which proved both interesting and suggestive. The various kinds of webs, their methods of construction and uses were described in detail. Instances of the enormous amount of web used were given, in contradiction of the statement of the older naturalists that the supply was limited, while the author stated that the numerous webs seen floating in the air late in the autumn were produced by spiders in their efforts to take aerial flights. The paper gave rise to some discussion, in which Messrs. Anderson, Barnard, Hall, and the president took part. NATURAL HISTORY NOTE. A cutting from a Sydney newspaper was contributed by Mr. C. Frost, giving an account of recent experiments on the nature of various poisons. That of a spider (Lathrodectus) was found to be the most deadly poison yet discovered. Quite a scare had been created by this publication, to which the ill-founded dread of the so-called tarantula contributed not a little. EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. The following were the principal exhibits of the evening : — By Mr. E. Anderson. — Moths, viz., Thalaina clara, T. Selcena,. Mnesempala privata, and variety, and Smyriodes aplectaria. By Mr. A. Coles. — Pair of Swainson's Lorikeets, Trichoglossus Novce- Hollandiai, and Royal Spoonbill, Platalea melanorhyncha. By Mr. C. French, jun. — Eggs of Lanes Gouldii and Sterna Bergii, from Gulf of Carpentaria. By Mr. J. Gabriel. — Eight species of Australian ducks' eggs. By Baron von Mueller, K.C.M.G. — A Dodonrea collected by Mr. W. E. Matthews, as very rare, near Mt. Zero, and remarkable for its very broad fruit, by which it approaches D. platyptera and D. calycina ; also Amaranthus retrqflexus, an immigrated weed, collected by H. B. Williamson near Port Fairy. After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. In noticing the " Thistle Handbook " last month ( Victorian Naturalist, ix., p. 32), the name of Baron von Mueller, K.C.M.G., Government Botanist, as its author, was inadvertently omitted. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 35 NOTES ON THE SWIMMING BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. By Robert Hall. (Read before Field Naturalists' Chib of Victoria, 13th Nov., 1893. J The birds of this order are variously organized. Some have their wings undeveloped, and live almost entirely on the water; others spend half their lifetime on the wing, and many more nearly the whole of it ; by others much diving is indulged in, whilst many both fly and dive well. Molluscs, insects, Crustacea, and fish form the food of all, with one exception, i.e., the Columbidse, or Grebes, which diet chiefly on vegetable matter. Throughout the order the feet are more or less fully webbed, the legs placed far back on the body, and the tarsi compressed, adapting them for swimming ; bill and wings varied, plumage very thick and close, with a quantity of down next the skin, and in some families impregnated with oil ; the hind toe being always small, though occasionally absent. In the Colurnbidas the toes are free, being bordered only by a wide web. The young mostly follow the parent as soon as hatched, being termed autophagous, which includes the Anatidae, the Columbida?, with portions of the Laridoe and of the Procellaridaj ; the heterophagous — -i.e., the young requiring to be fed for a longer or shorter period — being the Pelecanidre and the Spheniscidse. The toes of birds, by their principal variations, furnish the primary characters whereby the whole class is divided into orders, hence you will notice this order is represented with its webbed toes ; other modifications of structure indicate for the most part groups. They are more numerous (particularly the marine species) in the colder seas than in the tropics. The South Island of New Zealand is well favoured in this respect, and merely as reference we could mention Great Britain as tolerably cold with one-third of her list of marked British species as swimmers. While taking a general view of the birds of this order, our attention cannot but be attracted by some remarkable contrasts which present themselves to our notice in excess of some members and scarcity of others ; for instance, the Gulls are represented by 5 species in Australia, 6 species in New Zealand, 9 on the East Asiatic coast, and 20 in Europe; the Terns by 17 in Australia and 6 in New Zealand ; Petrels, 33 in New Zealand, 28 here, and 7 in Europe; Penguins, 3 with us, 12 in New Zealand, in Europe unknown. In the order there are about 90 species represented, with Anatidse, Ducks, &c, 20 species ; Laridse — Terns, &c, 23 ; Pro- cellaridae — Petrels, &c, 28; Pelecanidas — Cormorants, &c, 13; Phsetontidse — Tropic Birds, 2 ; Podicipidse — Grebes, 3 ; and Spheniscidse — Penguins, 3. 36 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. By way of comparison, our next of kin, New Zealand, registers about 85 species, with considerably less geographical range. Looking at a bird of this order, the principal feature which will attract your attention is the length of the neck compared with the legs, this being the only order in which the neck is longer than the legs- — probably formed thus to enable the bird to search for food in the depths below while it swims on the surface. Southern Australia is endowed with about 60 species, while the Northern is represented by about 25. The numerical superiority of the former is created by the Albatross, Cormorant, and Petrel being strictly southern, or cold water, birds, while the Tern is equally dispersed. The North is represented with one-third of the ducks, while the South has two-thirds. Though we have five species of geese, it is noticeable that New Zealand is unrepresented, yet its duck list is nearly equal to that of our own. Of the Southern birds the Petrels figure as one-third of the order.* Family : Anatid^e. Cygnus atratus, Lath., Black Swan. — This bird — one of the two representatives south of the line — is confined to the southern portions of our continent, and is the largest member of this family. Cereopsis Nov^-Hollandi^:, Lath., Cape Barren Goose. — This species is now almost a stranger among the islands of Bass Strait, where it was once numerous, as well as on the coast adjacent. Although an inhabitant of the islets, it rarely takes to the water, preferring to spend the greater portion of its time among the grass, and appearing to be strictly a vegetable feeder, and in course of time the toe-webs, through disuse, may entirely disappear. The sexes are alike in colour; hides vermilion and cere lemon. Anseranas melanoleuca, Lath., Semi-palmated Goose, like the last, is the sole representative of its genus. As Victoria becomes populated with the human family, so does it become depopulated with this one, as a few years back this Anser was seen in apparently countless numbers, the dense flocks affording food for the original native proprietors of the colony. A noticeable internal arrangement is the " trachea," similar in function to that of other swimmers, but of greater proportions than in any other species. The tube lies on the left side of the bird, just under the skin, and in length is often 4 feet 6 inches ; nature's provision being to sufficiently raise it under the wing that respiration would not be impeded when the bird rested with its breast on the ground. The habitat extends into the north, as it is even more numerous there than here, but neither in Western * Owing to the length of the original paper I have been obliged to curtail it in order to bring it within the capacity of the Naturalist, by omitting some of the more familiar species. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 37 Australia nor Tasmania. Colour of bill reddish brown, feet yellow. Branta jubata, Lath., Maned Goose, is a bird peculiar to us, and is popularly known as Wood Duck, and was once described by Latham as an Anas. Extent of range, according to Mr. Gould, lies between 25 and 300 S. latitude, though on several occasions in ordinary seasons I have observed and secured it as low as 35°. This bird is full of interest, even to its loud barking note, so unlike that of other geese, also from an oological point of view. The sexes vary considerably in size and beauty, the male far exceeding its mate in both respects. Possibly the lady members may raise a discussion as to what constitutes true beauty, and upset this statement. However, as Pope once said, " We reason but from what we know." Young birds were seen in September last. Biziura lobata, Shaw, Musk Duck. — Here we find the sense of touch as highly developed as with the other members of this family. The tongue is a notable feature, being soft, fleshy, and of unusual sensibility. Unlike other birds, the duck discriminates its food by the touch of the tongue, and not by the senses of sight and smell. Mud and water, with the aid of such a valuable tongue, are forced through the lamellae or sieve-like structure of the bill and rejected as food. The oil-gland in this species is a particularly strong one ; in like manner to the usual gland above the cloacal aperture, it secretes an oily matter which the birds smear or preen their feathers with, to prevent percolation of water inwards. Dendrocygna (Leptotarsis) Eytoni, Gould, or Eyton's Tree Duck, is principally recorded to be found in Northern Australia and to 1 8° S. However, last year it was secured below 300, and specimens were purchased from our local game vendors. Owing to the difference in structure, more particularly in the form of the nail on the bill, it has received at the hands of Mr. Gould a different classification to that of Mr. Swainson, who includes it in genus Dendrocygna, our other type being the Whistling Duck, Dendrocygna arcuata. Similar to the goose, the legs are found to be feathered, and of like comparative length. Proceeding to the second family of the order, the Larid/E, or Gulls, we have first Larus pacificus, Lath., Pacific Gull. For two years the young differ so much that speculation could easily be indulged in, by a stranger, so as to favour distinct species ; the mottled brown of the young state may frequently be seen changing to the colouring of the adult. This Larus is to be observed in pairs, frequenting Southern Australia and Tasmania,' not proceeding into equatorial waters. 38 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Another species is the Larus (Xejvia) Jamesonii, Jameson's Silver Gull. The sexes apparently are the same in colour, and may be seen in flocks over all the southern portions of Australia, and often up rivers hundreds of miles from the coast. I have seen them during three successive years in our sister colony, beyond the Murray, at Swan Hill. The flight is easy and buoyant to the fullest extent. A third species, L. Gouldii, is to be observed in Northern Australia. Passing into a group of birds, which are recognizable by their pointed form of bill, we have first the Anous stolidus, Linn., Noddy Tern. This sombre-coloured tern is a northern bird and an ocean rover, preferring to spend its time distant from land, except during the breeding season, when it is to be seen in vast numbers, in company with its congener, A. fuiiginosa, inhabiting the islands strewed so conspicuously to the east of our continent. Mr. Gilbert records it as being numerous in Western Australia — in fact, great nurseries are to be found in all the equatorial waters. Eggs received by the writer from localities 40 S. and 3,000 miles from the north-eastern coast indicate the breeding seasons to be April and November, and from 250 S. to be November and December. Mr. A. J. Campbell, F.L.S., on return from a recent trip to the Houtman's Abrolhos, described the bird as breeding in hundreds on the bushes, another species in hundreds under the bushes, and a third species by hundreds in the ground under the bushes. The sanitary arrangements of such a " home, sweet home," are anything but in accordance with the phrase. Though the flight of the bird is laboured, compensation is obtained in the largely developed membrane of the foot enabling it to swim with perfect ease. The matured sexes are almost identical, and the young acquire the plumage at an early date, as there are no decidedly prominent colours inherited. Sterna stolidus, of Chinese waters, is presumed to be the same as the one here figured. Anous tenuirostris, Temm., Lesser Noddy Tern. Like A. stolidus, this species is truly gregarious, having resort to the same breeding places each year, when the nests are placed in shrubs, especially mangrove, about 5 ft. from the ground, and in closely packed encampments. The nest is very loosely constructed of herbage, principally seaweed, placed in forks and horizontal boughs of arboreous vegetation. Similarly with the other members of this genus, the birds are without " days at home," being from early morn to sunset on the ocean cruising, when towards evening they will wend their homeward way, the early arrivals waiting for the stragglers before retiring. It is at sunset that one receives a surprise in witnessing the amazing clouds or flights of thousands, hovering above the rookery before finally settling to indulge in the sleep of the just. The differences in the sexes are not visibly discernible. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 39 Anous leucocapillus, White-capped Noddy. The geograph- ical range is universal, occupying both sides of the Pacific and Indian oceans, and, according to Sir Win. Jardine, in the West African waters. Like the Petrels, this bird, and all the genus, have a wandering disposition, preferring to spend their time abroad, and keeping close to the islands only during breeding season. Habits and food are similar to the two previously men- tioned. Thalasseus pelecanoides, King, Torres Straits Tern. — The locality is indicated by the name, and although it extends to India, does not appear to be distributed to southern waters ; still its congener in the Bass Strait is relative to a facsimile. The different periods of incubation tend to create a distinctness in the broad field of brotherhood. The disposition of the bird tends towards shyness, not anxious to admit friendship with such promptitude as in the case of Noddy and Sooty Terns. Thalasseus poliockrcus, Gould, Bass Strait Tern. — Doubt exists with its connection to the previous one, as some authorities think them to be the same as Sterna Bergii, Lichtenstein. This Tern is the most familiar one to us in Port Phillip, especially during the winter months, when flocks of ten to fifty may be seen about the busy parts of the harbour. It is not an unusual occurrance to shoot this species in the act of swallowing a Gar Fish ; it is a " play in many acts," because, the fish being as long as the bird, digestion must play its part before the whole fish can be taken into stock, then there is the gar to be taken into account ; on one or two occasions I have forestalled the bird, and received the opportunity of having a fish breakfast, or, more properly speaking, what was left of it. It is remarkable that all these birds though web-footed, seldom, if ever, swim ; they dive, how- ever, with facility. Crown of head markings in summer are jet black ; in winter, mottled black and white. The third family of this order, PROCELLARIDyE, is more abundant here than in any other portion of the world, which also assists towards making our list of nocturnal birds the largest in the globe. Its geographical range, from east to west, is found to be greater than that of any of the avifauna. Southern Australia is visited during different periods of the year with about forty species, possibly half of which incubate in our waters, and whose powers of flight are simply wonderful, in storm as in calm, as the root (procella, a storm) implies. This family contains the largest and smallest species of oceanic birds, the former being represented with Diomedea exulans, Linn., Wandering Albatross, which on rare occasions is to be 40 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. seen in Port Phillip Bay. Of the nine known species patrolling the colder waters of the globe, six are peculiar to the southern hemisphere. An advantage to all the members of this genus is that of being nocturnal as well as diurnal. This Diomedea is known to breed southward of Tasmania, and memoranda taken on other islands show the young birds to occupy the breeding ground throughout the whole of the first year. During February to June the old birds forsake them, when the babies have to subsist on the absorption of their own enormous fat. The parent birds return during October, when the juveniles are ousted out, a transaction they do not take very kindly to. Possibly the body outgrowing the wings causes the detention. The first of true Petrels, Procellaria gigantea, Gmel. (Giant Petrel), and a type of the most extensive family of night-fliers among our Australian aves. This genus is handsomely represented by fifteen species, and this bird is the giant of the family ; also recognized in Cook's "Voyages" as "Mother Carey's Goose." Of the " Chickens" we will hear when we meet our minor friends in the Thalassidroma. The range of flight is a wide one, as in the case of P. hasitata (Great Grey Petrel), which is found diffused far south in Atlantic and Pacific. The flight and actions differ slightly from the majority, if not all other Petrels. The apparent colour difference is not decided, but the female is the smaller. Allowing our thoughts to fall to zero, we meet with P. glacialoides, Smith, and find that this beautiful glacial species occasionally visits our straits, and is not a rarity between Hobart and Dunedin, as you may notice from the decks of any of our red-funnel boats. In Dr. Smith's " Birds of South Africa" a full description is given ; but we cannot just now note the great breadth of the wing primaries, which is greater than in most other members, though buoyancy in flight is lost thereby. Taking your attention to the familiar and interesting Mutton Bird, Puffinus brevicaudus, Brandt, is the same as recalling the strange ways of this bird, so well known to you either from direct visits or Club's reports on excursions to the nurseries, as you may notice in our journals. However, I cannot refrain from quoting from Flinders' "Voyages," vol. i., p. 170, as follows: — " In Bass Strait a flock was seen to be from 50 to 80 yards in depth, 300 yards in breadth, and continuing to follow as a stream for one and ahalf hours." The estimated quantity was 150,000,000 birds, which would — according to further figures given — require 18^; geographical miles for a compact rookery, allowing one square yard to each family. We often see large flocks, but must surely consider this a jubilee-year one. During October last the birds visited the land to clear hollows ; the- following month they came to lay. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 41 Puffinus assimilis, Gould, Allied Petrel. — This beautiful little species is a debtor to its elegant form, rather than its colours, for the appearance of the dark sooty-black head and neck with the contrast of white under surface are the only noticeable colours on the body. The applied specific name assimilis was given by our great deceased ornithologist in recognition of its affinity with the British one of almost equal proportions and colour. Our compact little friend, Puffinuria urinatrix, Diving Petrel, so often to be seen near the islands off the promontory, has been classed by seven European ornithologists under seven heads. The structure of the bird causes the habits to be different from all other members of the family, excepting the four Puffins, and mainly in not possessing the great powers of flight common to the family, though its powers of diving are a com- pensation, appearing simply to fly under water, when it makes the pace very warm for shrimps and small fish, upon which it feeds. The mode of flight is to keep close to and almost on the water : not troubling to rise above a wave, but simply go through it, which happens so often that the flight is a short flutter kind of motion. From several specimens taken at Cliffy Island, the colours appear to vary. Petrels are the most aerial of birds, yet this species, in its general habits, its manner of swimming and flying when unwillingly it takes flight, would be mistaken by one for a Grebe ; nevertheless it is a Petrel with many parts of its organization modified. Entering upon a few details of the fourth family, that of the Pelecanid^e (embracing the Greek word for " I hew with an axe "), we find diversions of structure — though all with the four toes included in the web — under five headings : — Pelican, Cormorant, Gannet, Darter, and Tropic Bird, taking for our type the Pelican, Pele- canus conspicillatus, Temm., and represented by one species only, and that the only pouched bird found in Australia. This species is cosmopolitan, though not in any case do the beauty and shade tints exceed in splendour that of the one peculiar to our land. For the specific name compare its conspicuous markings (?), its entire plumage being white, omitting the primaries, secondaries, scapularies, portion of upper tail-coverts, lower row of greater wing-coverts, and a portion of the edging of the shoulders, which are black. The nest is a large structure of sticks and herbage, and ranks as a castle amongst homesteads ; the eggs are generally two in number, and may be found on islands in Bass Strait and undisturbed interior waters. The food supply is confined to fish, which must doubtless entail constant labour to supply according to the demand. 42 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Of the family Graculus we are in possession of five species, the most generally known one being G. carboides, Gould, Aus- tralian Cormorant, which can at most times be observed in our Botanical Gardens and river estuary, more particularly during the present season, as this and the following one are each day busily engaged with fishing in Hobson's Bay for young 1 2-inch barracouta and pilchards, which made their appear- ance last July in great shoals, comprising millions of the fish named, one pursuing the other and the cormorant both. Although the range is wide, the bird shows a preference for southern waters, keeping well down to the south-east. Physically this family throughout is particularly strong, exercising all portions of the body in its struggle for existence. In summer the white throat markings of the male are pronounced ; in winter the markings disappear. Of the genus Sula in this family we have four representatives, the one most familiar to us being S. serrator, Banks, Australian Gannet, which voyages from about the central portion of the east coast, along the southern, and up to the same parallel of the western, not venturing to stay in tropical regions. During autumn they frequent our bay off St. Kilda and Williamstown. The British species, S. bassana, which is generally to be seen in European collections, fails to differ from this figured species, and evidently performs those offices in the North which are done by ours in the South. The Club has the prospect of an interesting account regarding this Booby on return of our Flinders Group expedition, as the breeding place will probably be seen in all its phases. The species peculiar to equatorial parallels is S. leucogastra, Bodd, Brown Gannet, extending from the northern coast to 1400 E., and probably the limit. From this vicinity I have received the skin, which is dark brown on the upper portion of the body, prominently separated from neck to abdomen on the under surface of the body by pure white. Bill and legs pale yellow. The limey white of the egg, which is easily removed, then shows a uniform blue, quite differently characterizing the specimen. The breeding seasons are during November and March, when the nest is loosely constructed of dry herbage, and both sexes incubate. A well-developed provision provided by Nature that the Gannet should not injure itself when plunging into the sea from a height of 25 or 30 feet is the " pillow " at the breast. Still continuing, we have Tachypetes minor, Gmelin, Small Frigate Bird. The smaller of the two known, and strictly confined to northern waters, is in its habits a " pirate of the seas," preferring to allow others to obtain their food, then by force making a transfer and claiming possession. It is also an egg robber, as a correspondent writes : — " The Gannets THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 43 will not leave nests while one is in sight." The extended form of wing tertiaries and exterior tail feathers materially aid in the rapid flight, thus able to pursue on water as the Falcon does on land. To he correct, this bird is not a swimmer, but as it bears in the toes a deeply scooped membrane, under- going a change as the nearest relation to this eighth order, it is so placed ; in structure it shows a decided tendency towards the raptores. According to specimens reviewed from Maiden Island the nuptial plumage is full during March and April, and the female is devoid of highly coloured adornment as is the case with the male. Spheniscid^e. Of this family we have three representatives, all inhabiting the southern waters, and more strictly aquatic than any other of the order. The colder the water the birds are the more at home; hence it is that New Zealand south, with a quarter of our coast, has 1 1 species, while we have 3 only, though contentment is great gain. The connections of this family are not very visible. It is suggested by some relation is on one side by the goose with the Rasores ; others, through the Grebe with the Coot. Further suggestions are left for our friends present. We know that disuse through thousands of generations will produce the effect as seen in the primitive wings or paddles. Eudvptula undina, Gould, Fairy Penguin, is probably the smallest yet discovered, frequenting Tasmanian and Victorian waters. The note of the bird is hoarse and discordant, and as many of you have had the pleasure of visiting a rookery, we will think of a comglomerate breed of dog issuing its somewhat unmelodious bark to remind us of the note. The sense of sight is highly developed, being able to see equally well in the different media of air and water. As much cannot be said for the sense of smell, as may be taken for granted after a visit to any one of their young colonies. The Little Penguin, E. minor (Forst), more universally frequents Southern Australia and Tasmania. On King and other islands a considerable portion of the year is occupied in the effort to rear the young, that they may successfully combat wave and wind, as one may easily imagine the necessary amount of muscular energy required for days at a time in the disturbance of the elements, and even off Hobson's Bay coasts it is not an unfrequent occur- rence to find the body devoid of life, through stress of weather in all probability. The fishermen's nets very often are able to account for the result, for where a small fish can flash through a mesh, not so the bird. During one morning in the bay mentioned I have taken as many as six birds from the nets. 44 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. COLUMBID/E. In noticing the Columbidce, with its disconnected webbed toes, which are an exception to the order, always distinguished in having the toes united by a membrane attached between them, we find the birds when walking have to assume an erect position owing to location of legs not allowing a balance, and as the rudimentary wings forbid a terrestrial life the time is spent in an aquatic one. The three species (all of genus Podiceps) are principally, if not strictly, confined to southern latitudes and Tasmania, and are what may be termed stationary birds, owing to the non-development of wings. P. Nowe-Hollandi;e, Stephen, Black-throated Grebe, often called Dabchick, as previously mentioned, is a vegetable feeder, and in structure appearing not to differ from that of the Northern Hemisphere, as seen in Great Britain, the law of representation being here shown. Although particularly to be seen in inland and coastal lagoons, they often venture from river mouths into turbulent waters, where I have noticed them year after year off Williamstown. The power of diving is great, and performed in a second, as collectors know. P. nestor, Gould, Hoary-headed Grebe, is distinct from the previous species, for during the spring season it is ornamented with the mysterious head gear. Both nest and bird are built on architecture somewhat of a new plan to us ; the former, twelve of which I observed on the 17th of last month in two water- filled depressions of the ground near Corowa, N.S.W., could be briefly described as a nest of water plants floating on the surface of two feet of water and anchored to rushes ; the limey-white egg clutches comprised five and four, principally the former, and to detect the same would require the lilting off of weeds from the nest, placed there by the bird upon being disturbed, as a pro- tective move. After the breeding season the plumes on the head disappear. Regarding the power of flight, this order exhibits extremes — in the Grebe the least of all, in the Frigate the greatest of the class. In conclusion, we find male birds to be universally the most highly coloured of the two, and generally larger than the females, and with but a few exceptions do our species fly above the equator. The Eastern Archipelago secures most of the Laridae and half of the Pelecanidse. The Indian Ocean's want of islets prohibits otherwise than coasting ; while the Southern Ocean, as previously mentioned, is the stronghold. New Zealand is not here taken into account, owing to its fauna being distinct from that of our own. THE Qictovxan $t a t rt r a I i * t* Vol. XI.— No. 3. JUNE, 1894. No. 127. FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. The fourteenth annual meeting of the Club was held in the Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, nth June, 1894. The president, Mr. H. T. Tisdall, F.L.S., occupied the chair, and some 60 members and visitors were present. REPORT. The leader (Mr. C. Frost) reported that the attendance at, and the results of, the excursion to Sassafras Gully, on Queen's Birth- day, 24th May, had been much interfered with by the heavy rain of the previous day. However, an enjoyable day was spent, and in the department of cryptogamic botany good work was done, some fifty species of fungi being noted ; two species, it is expected, will prove new to science on further examination. Regret was ex- pressed at the great damage done to the wonderful natural beauty of the gully by the establishment of the adjacent village settle- ment. The meeting for practical work was held on the 28th May, the course in practical botany being continued under the direction of Mr. J. Shephard. The bracken fern (Pteris) was the type studied, and some useful work was done by members making and staining their own sections. ELECTION OF MEMBERS. On a ballot being taken, Messrg. W. M. Hale and J. J. E. Degen were duly elected members of the Club. JUVENILE PRIZE COMPETITION. The distribution of the prizes to the successful competitors in the Juvenile Prize Competition for Natural History Specimens then took place. Baron von Mueller, K.CM.G , kindly attended to distribute the prizes, and in his opening remarks referred to his own early efforts in the paths of science at the age of fifteen. His appropriate and encouraging remarks to each prize-taker in turn were listened to with much interest. The following is a list of the prize-takers as adjudged by Messrs. F. G. A. Barnard, C. French, F.L.S., C. Frost, F.L.S., and H. T. Tisdall, F.L.S. :— 46 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Zoology. Class 2 — Moi-LUSCA — First prize, Charles J. Gabriel. ,, 3- Lepidopteka — First prize, Gerald F. Hill. ,, 4 - Coi.eopteka — First prize, Jack Turnbull. ,, 5 — Hymenoptera — First prize. Bernard F. Hill. ,, 6 — Collection Illustrating Orders of Insects — First prize, Bernard F. Hill. ,, 7— Collection Illustrating Life-Histories of Insects — First prize, Gerald F. Hill ; second prize, Bernard F. Hill. Bolauy. Class 8 — Flowering Plants — First prize, Rose Elliott ; second prize, Frederick Higgins. ,, 9 — Ferns, Mosses, and Fungi — First prize, John Russell ; second prize, Mark Elliott. Geology. Class 12— Rocks and Minerals— Second prize, Frederick Higgins. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded Baron von Mueller for his kindness in distributing the prizes. ANNUAL REPORT. The hon. secretary (Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth) then read the fourteenth annual report, 1893-94, which was as follows : — " To the Members of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria. Ladies and Gentlemen, — Your committee have much pleasure in presenting to you the fourteenth annual report of the Club's work, being for the period ending 30th April, 1894. " In view of the unparalleled depression and continued depopulation of Melbourne, it must be a matter of congratulation that the membership of the Club has been fully sustained during the past year. Twenty-nine members, of whom five were ladies, have been added to the list ; while 23 names have been removed on account of resignation and death. The total membership may now be put down at 229, including honorary and life members. The times are more clearly reflected in the sub- scription list, which is one less than last year ; and your committee take this opportunity of impressing on those members in arrear the necessity of prompt payment, as the financial position of the Club is not entirely satisfactory, owing to the continued suspension of the Metropolitan Bank. " Members are also reminded that the Club's position may be improved, and its sphere of action enlarged, by the introduction of new members to our ranks, and that the present is the best time for new members to join. '■ Nineteen papers and reports were read during the past year, of which zoology claimed 9, botany 2, geology 2, general subjects 3, and trips and excursions 3 ; and the thanks of the Club are due to those who have in this practical manner con- tributed to the diffusion of a knowledge of natural history, which this Club seeks to promote, and also to those members who — in. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 47 discussing these papers or in natural history notes — have brought forward many new and interesting facts and observations. " The exhibits at the monthly meetings have shown that there are many members who have not yet contributed papers, who in forming such excellent collections must have acquired the necessary material, and we hope that they will come forward during the ensuing year. " A successful programme of field excursions was gone through during the year, but we should like to see more members par- ticipating in the undoubted benefits of field work in conjunction with those who have had considerable experience in collecting. The extended excursion of the year was to the Furneaux Group of Islands in Bass Strait, and was a great success. The party was small, mainly ornithological, and their experiences of the breeding habits of sea birds were especially interesting, and the photographic records unusually excellent. " Our journal, the Victorian Naturalist, has now completed a decade of its existence ; the thanks of members are due to Mr. F. G. A. Barnard for the trouble he has taken in editing it during the past year. Although a great expense to the Club, it has amply justified its existence. Your committee have reluctantly decided to alter the form of the supplement and to curtail the number of pages, in order that the journal may not become an incubus to the Club ; these alterations will apply to the eleventh volume, now commencing. " The meetings for practical work have been continued during the past year, and interest has been fully sustained throughout. They have been devoted exclusively to microscopy, and for the latter half of the year to a systematic course in practical botany. " The juvenile prize competition for natural history specimens has been continued, but the committee must confess to a feeling of disappointment that the entries do not show any increase in numbers, although, to do justice to the competitors, the excellence of the exhibits has never been surpassed. To those who have responded to our appeal for funds for the purpose of the scheme our best thanks are due, and also to Baron von Mueller for his great kindness in again consenting to distribute the prizes ; indeed, we know that his words of kind sympathy and encouragement when presenting the prizes are as great an incentive as the prizes themselves. "Two members of the Club, Messrs. E. Anderson and F. Spry, have published an excellent handbook, entitled ' The Butterflies of Victoria.' It marks a considerable advance in our knowledge of the life-histories of our butterflies, and can be confidently recom- mended to all interested. Nor must we omit to note the publication by Mr. C. French, F.L.S., Entomologist to the Department of Agriculture, of the second part of his ' Handbook to the 48 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. Destructive Insects of Victoria,' and the ' List of the Lizards Indigenous to Victoria,' published in the ' Proceedings of the Royal Society,' by Messrs. C. Frost and A. H. S. Lucas, M.A. Two other members — Professor Spencer and Mr. G. A. Keartland — represent Victorian science in the exploring expedition recently sent out by Mr. W. A. Horn, of South Australia. They are now near the Macdonnell Ranges, in the interior, and are, according to latest accounts, in excellent spirits, and doing good work. Both have gained considerable experience in field collecting under the auspices of the Club. " In December last the Rev. Walter Fielder, who had acted as hon. secretary for the previous three years, tendered his resigna- tion, and Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth was elected to fill the vacant position, the opportunity being taken by the members to present Mr. Fielder with a valuable microscope and accessories, in recognition of his services. " The idea of an annual conversazione had almost been aban- doned, on account of the expense and want of funds, when a proposal was brought forward to make a charge for admission. This was agreed to, and a further innovation in extending the conversazione over two evenings and the intervening afternoon was also adopted. It rests greatly with members to make the scheme a success. The exhibition will be held at the end of the present week, and we are pleased to be able to report that the prospects are very encouraging. " The financial position of the Club continues unsatisfactory. The receipts for the year amounted to ^125 16s. 5d., and the expenditure to £m 9s. 6d., leaving an apparent credit balance of ,£83 18s. id. Included in this is the amount 'locked up' in the Metropolitan Bank, which has been reduced by the receipt of a dividend of £2 14s nd. to jQ6o 18s. nd. Liabilities— princi- pally for publishing the Club's journal — exist to the amount of about ^65, but these are more than covered by arrears of sub- scriptions and the unavailable deposits. There is also a sum of £1 13s. to the credit of the Prize Competition fund. " In conclusion, the committee would urge on all members the benefits of attending the ordinary meetings, the meetings for practical work, and the field excursions, and also helping with either papers or notes for the information of their co-workers. "Signed, on behalf of the committee, " Henry Thos. Tisdall, Chaitman. "H. P. C. Ashworth, Hon. Sec. " 11/// yune, 1894." The report was adopted, on the motion of Messrs. Hall and Macgillivray. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 49 FINANCIAL STATEMENT. The financial statement for 1893-94 was then read by the hon. treasurer (Mr. F. Wisewould), and was as follows : — Receipts. To Balance on 30th April, 1893 ... ... ... ^69 n 2 ,, Subscriptions ... ... .. ... 113 10 6 ,, Victorian Naturalist — Sales ... ... .. 1231 ,, Interest ... ... ... ... ... o 2 10 Expenditure. By Printing Victorian Naturalist ... Kent of Rooms, &c. ... Periodicals ... Printing and Stationery Postages and Sundries Collector's Commission Balance Prize Competition Fund, receipts. To Balance ,, Donations By Prizes, 1893 ,, Balance ^195 7 7 . ^56 12 6 25 H 0 4 13 0 2 19 6 17 18 0 12 6 • 83 iS 1 £1% 7 7 ■ £2 1 6 3 19 0 £6 0 6 EXPENDITURE. £* 7 6 ^606 F. WISEWOULD, Hon. Treasurer. 1st May, 1894. Audited and found correct. D. BEST, ) . ... J. T. GILLESPIE J Aumors- Melbourne. StA June, 1894. The statement was received and adopted, on the motion of Messrs. Hill and Shephard. OFFICE-BEARERS FOR 1 894-95. Before proceeding to the election of office-bearers Mr. Wise- would regretfully tendered his resignation as hon. treasurer, but added that it gave him great pleasure to be able to nominate Mr. C. Frost, F.L.S., to the position. This was seconded by Mr. C. French, F.L.S., who also spoke of the Club's indebtedness to Mr. Wisewould during the past two years. The following office-bearers for 1894-95 were declared duly elected, being the only nominations received : — President, Mr. H. T. Tisdall, F.L S. ; vice-presidents, Mr. F. G. A. Barnard 50 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. and Professor W. B. Spencer, M.A. ; hon. librarian, Mr. E. Anderson ; and hon. secretary, Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth. A ballot for five members of committee resulted in the election of Rev. W. Fielder and Messrs. T. S. Hall, M.A., G. R. Hill, J. Shephard, and G. Sweet. A unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to the retiring office-bearers. NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., brought forward a note on the occurrence of a species of Salp in Port Phillip. Mr. C. Frost, F.L.S., contributed some newspaper cuttings on the large amount of spider web found in certain parts of the country during the past month. Mr. Frost referred this to the great proportion of failures of the migratory spiders to float away, and also advanced a theory to account for the migratory instinct. From his own observations he had noticed that snare-weaving spiders can exist much longer without food than ground spiders, and the scarcity of insects on the ground during the autumn prompts the latter to seek new hunting grounds. EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. In addition to the juvenile prize competition exhibits, the following were the principal exhibits of the evening : — By Mr. A. Coles. — Pair of Brown Quail, Synoicus australis. By Mr. C. French, sen. — Collection of Australian Hawk Moths. By Mr. C. French, jun. — Eggs of Australian Coot, Black-breasted Plover, Common Heron, White-headed Stilt ; also nest and eggs of Orange-fronted Sittella. By Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A.— Salpa mucronata-democratico, a pelagic ascidian taken at Black Roi k, near Sandringham. By Mr. W. H. F. Hill. — Specimens illustrat- ing developement of Empusa (sp.), a fungus parasitic on larvae of Agrotis infusa (Bdv.), and some allied species. After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB CONVERSAZIONE. The eleventh conversazione of the Field Naturalists' Club of Victoria was held at the Athenaeum Hall, Collins-street, Mel- bourne, on Thursday and Friday, 14th and 15th June, 1894. For the first time the committee, taking into consideration that, with the exception of rent of the hall, a two-nights display would not entail more expense than had been incurred on previous occasions for one night, and to the exhibitors would give little, if any, extra trouble, decided to extend the conversazione over two nights and the intervening afternoon, and the experiment proved to be a popular one. Owing to the financial position of the Club not being quite so good as in former years, and to meet the extra expense of rent, the free admission of members' friends was THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 51 curtailed ; but in order that persons interested should not be debarred from seeing the valuable collections brought together, extra tickets were procurable at one shilling each. This was also an innovation in connection with the Club conversaziones, and, taking into consideration the inclement state of the weather during the currency of the conversazione, the amount taken for ad- missions must be considered very satisfactory. The conversazione was inaugurated on Thursday evening with a brief address by Professor Sir Frederick M'Coy, K.C.M.G., D.Sc, F.R.S., one of the patrons of the Club, who .expressed the pleasure it gave him to see the splendid display of natural history specimens made by the members, which he considered would do credit to any city in the world, and in calling attention to the various features in the work of the Club, greatly commended the idea of encouraging young people to give some attention to natural history as affording the best field for original work, and the best possible training for the mind and intellect. A vote of thanks to Professor M'Coy for his address was proposed by Baron Sir F. von Mueller, K.C.M.G., who alluded to the great services of the professor to natural science, particularly in the departments of geology and palaeontology, both in England and Victoria. The motion was briefly seconded by Mr. H. T. Tisdall, F.L.S. (President), and carried by acclamation. A lecturette, entitled " Orchids," was then delivered by Mr. C. A. Topp, M.A., LL B., F.L.S., in the Upper Hall. He briefly described the principal characteristics of orchids, and by referring to diagrams and specimens demonstrated in a most interesting manner the wonderful construction of the flowers of these plants in order to ensure their fertilization by insects. On Friday afternoon the Rev. W. Fielder delivered a lecturette entitled " The History of an Egg and How to Read it," which was well illustrated by lantern slides, showing the development of chicken embryos, prepared by Mr. R. S. Sugars. The lecturette was well attended and excited considerable interest. In the evening Mr. A. J. Campbell, F.L.S., briefly recalled the incidents connected with the Club's excursions to Bass Straits with a series of lantern slides of views taken at King Island in 1887, the Kent group in 1890, and the Furneaux group in 1893. These were exceedingly well shown by Mr. J. Searle, and were greatly appreciated. As a matter of course, the principal feature of the conversazione was the display of natural history specimens in the main hall by members of the Club, which was equal to, if not superior to, former exhibitions. Many of the exhibits were of a highly scientific character. Thus the microscopical members of the Club combined in a systematic exhibit, arranged so as to show as many types as possible of the different orders of the animal and vegetable kingdoms, while the geologists showed a systematic 52 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. arrangement of rocks and fossils, principally Victorian. In other departments " life-histories " were prominent features. The ex- hibits of insects and shells in connection with the recent com- petition by young collectors also attracted considerable attention. EXHIBITS. The following is a list of the contributors, with particulars of the various specimens : — ■ Anderson, E., Armadale — Collection of Victorian Lepidoptera. Coloured and Plain Illustration* of Lepidoptera. AsHWORTH, H. P. C, Glenferrie — Cases of Mounted Birds. Collection of Birds' Skins. Photographic Views from Furneaux Group, Bass Straits. Bage, Mrs. M. C, St. Kilda— Leaf Insect from Fiji. Barnard, F. G. A., Kew — Case of Queensland Butterflies. Cases of Vic- torian Insects. Biological Department, Melbourne University — Specimens and Ap- paratus, Best, D., Hawthorn — Sixteen cases of Australian Beetles (Coleoptera). Case of Australian Wasps (Hymenoptera). Coles, A., Melbourne — Collection of Birds' Eggs. Groups of Quail, Eyton's Tree Duck, Wedge-tailed Eagles, Nankeen Kestrel and Grebes, with nests and young. Group of Great Flying Phalangers. Pairs of Shiel- drakes, Swainson's Lorikeet, Sombre Gallinule. Jamieson's Gull, Snipe, &c. ; also, three dozen bottles containing Grit from Stomachs of various Birds. Cochrane, Miss S. W. L., Auburn — Collection of Paintings of Victorian Orchids. Df.gen, J. J. Edward, National Museum, Melbourne — Tablets illustrating the Morphology of Birds. First series — Pterylography of Feathers on Bird's Wing. Entomological Branch, Agricultural Department — Six cases of Life-Histories of Victorian Insects Proof of Plates for Part iii. of " Destructive Insects of Victoria " (French*. Ellemor, F. J., Carlton — Three Mounted Skeletons of Birds. Case illus- trating Life-History of Lyre Bird. Case of 30 species of Birds. Ferguson, W. H., Melbourne — Case of Marine Specimens. Case of Metals. Fielder, Rev. W., and Mr. J. SHEPHARD -Demonstrations, Apparatus, and Sections, in illustration of the Development of Chicken Embryos. Flatow, Mrs., South Yarra— Collection of Shells, Corals, Seaweeds, &c. French, C, F.L.S., bouth Yarra — Four Cabinet Drawers Australian Lepidoptera Eight Cabinet Drawers Exotic Lepidoptera. Coloured Illustrations of Australian Coleoptera — artist, P. Dattari : and of Rare Longicorn Beetles— artist, C. C. Brittlebank. French, C, jun., South Yarra — Large Crocodile from the Nile. Collection of Australian Sea Birds' Eggs. Frost, C, F. L.S., Kew — Collection of Snakes, Lizards, Spiders, &c. (in spirits). Gabriel, J., F. L.S , Abbotsford — 250 species of Australian Birds' Eggs, and Collection of Polyzoa. Gabriel, Master C. J., Abbotsford — Collection of Mollusca (first prize juvenile competition). GATLIFF, J. H., Collingwood— Cases of Shells. Grayson, H., St. Kilda — Rock Sections for Microscopic Examination, and Rock Section-cutting Machine (at work). Hall, R., Box Hill — Collection of Australian Birds' Eggs and Birds' Skins. Hall, T. S, MA. , University — Geological and Palrcontological Collection, Graptolites, &c. Hart, T. S., M.A., Brighton — Geological Specimens. Hill, W. H. F. , Windsor — Fourteen cases of Lepidoptera. THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 53 Hill, G. E. F., Windsor— Five cases of Coleoptera. Hill, Master G. F., Windsor — Cases of Lepidoptera, and Life-Histories of Insects (first prize juvenile competition). Hill, Master B. F., Windsor — Cases of various Orders of Insects, and of Hymenopteia (first prize juvenile competition). KEARTLAND, G. A., Carlton — Case of Quail and three cases of Australian Birds. KERSHAW, W., Windsor — Four cases of Australian Lepidoptera. Four cases of Foreign Lepidoptera. KlTSON, A. E. , East Melbourne— Aboriginal Skull. Skull of Tiger. Ethno- logical and Geological Collection. Le Souef, U., Parkville — Collection of North Queensland Bird Skins, Nests, and Eggs, also Seeds and Native Weapons. Photographic Views of North Queensland and of the Tree-climbing Kangaroos. MARTIN, Mrs. Floka, North Brighton — Two Giant Earthworms, from Urouin, 7 ft. 2 in. and 7 ft. 6 in. respectively (measured length). Masters, S. A., Prahran — Collection of 50 species of Victorian Orchids. Mueller, Baron F. v