1 66 Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings. rvj"^'> 



Nat. 

 XXXV. 



being so extremely fragile. One or two specimens of a rather 

 singular crustacean, unidentified, were taken, and a very 

 fine piece of the coral, Plesiastrcea urvillei* was after- 

 wards picked up. Our lepidopterist fared somewhat badly, 

 his best would-be capture, one of the mistletoe butterflies, 

 managing to elude his net. A collection of the shells along 

 the beach failed to reveal anything of special interest in the 

 twcnt}^ or so species collected. Our badge shell, Nassa fat^ciata, 

 usually fairly plentiful on this beach, was somewhat scarce, 

 probably owing to the fact that the day was a holiday. 



[An interesting report of the only previous excursion to 

 Portarhngton will be found in the Naturalist for July, i8go 

 (vol. vii., p. 31). — Ed. Vict. Nat.] 



The president reported that, notwithstanding the close and 

 muggy weather experienced on Saturday, 8th February, a 

 party of about forty members and friends assembled at the 

 Botanic Gardens in response to the committee's invitation to 

 a ramble through the Gardens, followed by afternoon tea. 

 At his request, the director, Mr. J. Cronin, kindly pointed out 

 to the visitors some of the specially interesting features, 

 including the stove-houses and propagating frames, &c. In 

 the nursery beds were seen numbers of seedling Australian 

 trees and shrubs, Mr. Cronin remarking that it had been 

 found that the best results followed if these seedlings were 

 first transplanted when showing their earliest foliage leaves. 

 The method of growing tree-begonias under a tea-tree shelter 

 appealed to the plant-lovers of the party. Earlier in the 

 afternoon an informal invitation given by His Excellency the 

 Governor-General (an honorary member of the Club) to stroll 

 through the adjoining grounds of Government House had been 

 gladly accepted. Sir Ronald and Lady Helen Munro Ferguson 

 accompanying the party, and pointing out some of the more 

 interesting trees, notably a fine New South Wales Spotted Gum, 

 Eucalyptus maculata, now about forty feet in height, with 

 corresponding spread of branches. After a visit to the con- 

 servatories their Excellencies accompanied the party into the 

 Botanic Gardens and remained some time examining the many 

 fine specimen trees, &c. Tea was taken in the open near the 

 tea kiosk, the tables being decorated with blossoms of the 

 Scarlet Gum, in various shades, and the orange flowers of 

 Persoonia pinifolia. After tea votes of thanks to Mr. Cronin 

 and Mr. St. John for their efforts in making the afternoon such 

 an interesting one were heartily given, and with a final glance 

 at the Australian border the party dispersed. 



* [It was on this coral that in March, 1899, the late Dr. Hall based one 

 of his practical papers for beginners, entitled " A Hunt for a Name." 

 {Vict. Nat., xvi., p. 7, May, 1899). — Ed. ]'ict. Nat.] 



