•J""g'J Field N aturalisis' Club — Proceedings. 19 



GENERAL BUSINESS. 



Nominations were made for office-bearers for 1918-IQ, and 

 Messrs. F. Keep and F. Wisevvould were elected to audit the 

 accounts for the current year. 



REMARKS ON EXHIBITS. 



Dr. Sutton called attention to his exhibit of the fruits of 

 Eucalyptus pyriformis , one of the largest fruits of the genus, 

 collected by Mr. H. Deane, M.I.C.E., near the track of the 

 East- West railway in South Australia. 



Mr. F. Pitcher called attention to his exhibit of flowering 

 branches of Alyxia ruscifolia, R. Br., Ruscus-leaved Brushland 

 Box, a native of New South Wales and Queensland, a useful 

 garden shrub, having pleasing foliage and bright berries ; also 

 to Pledranthus parviflorus, Willd., Small Cockspur Flower, 

 a Victorian plant, useful as a trailer for hanging baskets, &c. 



PAPER READ. 



By Professor Sir Baldwin Spencer, K.C.M.G., F.R.S., D.Sc, 

 entitled " Notes on Certain Kitchen Middens on Wilson's 

 Promontory." 



The author said that great interest is attached to the kitchen 

 middens, or shell-heaps of the aboriginals, the investigation of 

 which helps to throw light on the life and customs of the 

 former inhabitants of our State. During a recent visit to the 

 National Park he had taken the opportunity to make a 

 thorough examination of a number of shell-mounds which had 

 been laid bare by some heavy gales, and exhibited a large col- 

 lection of marine shells, flint and bone implements, &c., as 

 the result. Portions of a human skeleton had also been 

 collected, but he did not consider it any proof of the existence 

 of cannibalism among the natives at any time, as it was the 

 custom in some parts to bury the dead in old shell-mounds or 

 " ovens," as they are termed in the northern districts. A 

 number of stone implements were also exhibited, which must 

 have been brought from considerable distances, as no stones 

 of similar kinds are to be found within many miles of the 

 Promontory. 



In the discussion which followed, the president, Messrs. 

 Keep, Daley, Keble, Anthony, Keartland, and Chapman took 

 part. 



Mr. G. A. Keartland said that the natives carry articles of 

 use to them for vast distances. He had found a large marine 

 shell at a native well in North- West Australia, four hundred 

 miles from the sea. At one place he knew of there were several 

 drayloads of fresh-water mussel shells, showing that the 

 natives had used the place for many years. 



