76 Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings. \ ^rV'^^-Ji^b- r 



The chairman reminded members of the opportunity of 

 seeing the Grampian flora afforded by the Railway Depart- 

 ment's excursion from the 21st to 28th September. He also 

 said that there was a httle difficulty as to what object the 

 proceeds of the wild-flower exhibition, to be held by the Club 

 in the Melbourne Town Hall on Tuesday, ist October, would 

 be devoted, as, to prevent overlapping, the authorities had 

 set aside October for hospital collections, while the Club 

 desired to help the Y.M.C.A. war funds. He hoped to be 

 able to make a definite announcement at the next meeting. 

 There would, however, be no doubt about the holding of the 

 exhibition, and the hall had been secured for the date 

 mentioned. 



REMARKS ON EXHIBITS. 



Mr. E. S. Anthony called attention to a case of New Guinea 

 insects illustrating the paper to be read later by Mr. F. P. 

 Dodd on his experiences in that island. 



Miss A. Fuller exhibited a number of dried Indian flowers, 

 and read some notes concerning them. 



Prof. Sir Baldwin Spencer, K.C.M.G., called attention to 

 his exhibit of a number of specimens of wood-lice, collected in 

 the Northern Territory, where he came across a procession of 

 these crustaceans, evidently migrating, which was about 

 thirty yards broad, and took an hour and a half to pass a given 

 spot. The effect of the sight was that the ground seemed to 

 be moving rather than that the creatures were moving over 

 the ground. It was impossible to estimate the countless 

 millions contained in the moving mass. 



Mr. A. L. Scott drew attention to his exhibit of a specimen 

 of _ aventurine felspar, so named from the peculiar sparkle 

 which it shows, due to foreign inclusions in the crystals. 



Mr. C. L. Plumridge called attention to his exhibit of a 

 flowering specimen of Epacris longiflora, now in full bloom. 

 The plant was obtained by him some five years ago at Went- 

 worth Falls, N.S.W., and was then about one inch in height. 

 He said that the Epacrids should commend themselves to 

 flower-lovers, as they flower at a time when other flowers are 

 scarce. The cultural requirements were very simple — a light, 

 peaty soil, thorough drainage, firm potting, and no coddling. ' 



At this stage the president requested Mr. F. Chapman, vice- 

 president, to take the chair, as he desired to leave early. 



PAPER READ. 



By Mr. F. P. Dodd, entitled " A Naturalist in New Guinea." 



In the absence of the author, the paper was read by his son, 



Mr. F. W. Dodd, and gave a most interesting account of some 



