^^'^•' 1 Field Naturalists' Chih — Proceedings: 83 



with any certainty even a very few native flowers, owing to 

 the want of a non-technical guide on the subject. 



Mr. F. G. A. Barnard pointed out that there could be no 

 comparison between a bird book and a botany, as the whole 

 list of Australian birds numbered only some 400 species, while 

 a botany for Victoria alone would enumerate over 2,000 species, 

 and for Australia over 8,000. The latter would be too great 

 a task for any one society to undertake. He saw great diffi- 

 culties in the way of simple, brief descriptions, because so many 

 of our genera comprised species of greatly diverse characters. 



Mr. H. B. Williamson supported Mr. Barnard, and pointed 

 out the impossibility of the determination of some species, and 

 even genera, in the field, or by the tyro, taking for example 

 the Dillwynias, Pultenaeas, and Daviesias, which require 

 dissection and microscopical examination to definitely distinguish 

 between them. 



Mr. J. A. Kershaw said that illustrations were of primary 

 importance if the list was to be of any service. 



Mr. F. Pitcher suggested that the matter be left in the hands 

 of the Plant Names Committee for consideration at its next 

 meeting, and moved to that effect. He mentioned that, with 

 regard to illustrations, Mr. E. E. Pescott's work, " The Native 

 Flowers of Victoria," contained a large number of illustrations, 

 and seemed to him to be suitable for the purpose. 



Mr. Barnard asked to be allowed to speak again, and said 

 that, as the originator of the suggestion of common names for 

 our plants, which he had made in a paper read before the Club 

 some ten or twelve years before (see Victorian Naturalist, 

 vol. xxiii., p. 136), he then had no idea of naming more than 

 the more prominent species to be found in certain areas ; but 

 the committee had thought it desirable to include every Vic- 

 torian species. 



The chairman said that whatever was done should be done 

 quickly, for if any other work of a similar nature should come 

 out before that of the Club the chance of making the publica- 

 tion a success would be greatly lessened. 



On being put to the meeting, Mr. Pitcher's motion was carried 

 unanimously. 



PAPER. 



By Mr. A. H. S. Lucas, M.A., B.Sc. (hon. member), entitled 

 " Ferns Grown in the Open." 



The paper was read by Mr. F. G. A. Barnard, and detailed 

 the methods adopted by the author, who is a resident of Gordon, 

 one of the northern suburbs of Sydney, to grow his favourites 

 in as nearly as possible natural conditions, unsheltered by 

 covering of any description. He found that, while some species 

 suffered to some extent during the summer, though copiously 

 watered, nearly all recovered when cooler weather came, while 



