THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF VICTORIA, 361 



tins gives ample testimony of tlicir lianliliood, and tlioir fitness for copinij with 

 the much smaller vicissitudes they would be liable to in the sheltered gullies of 

 our mountain ranges. The establishment of this most vahuible ])lant is of tho 

 utmost importance, and in a commercial point of view can scarcely be overesti- 

 mated. There are now in the garden nurseries a large number of phuits of cork 

 oaks, western Australian mahogany, tea, tobacco, coll'ee, and other prominently 

 useful plants, ready for planting in the valleys of the Upper Yarra this autumn. 



Dr. Mueller made a botanical visit to western Australia during hist year, and 

 he informs nic his principal object was to connect the observations of the flora of 

 that colony with geological formations in continuation of the many facts he had 

 traced out in other parts of Australia. An investigation of the mutual relations 

 existing between vegetation and geological formations is of great importance as 

 bearing on the general question of the occupation of the soil for various pui-poses 

 of culture. 



The phyto-chemical laboratory, under Dr. Mueller's direction, is still engaged 

 in researches into the technological, medicinal, and other properties of the Austra- 

 lian vegetation, and especially as regards the amount of potash in our trees, which 

 he states has already alibrded highly satisfactory results. The question of the 

 yield of iodine and l)romine in our large sea- weeds is also occupying the attention 

 of this branch of the botanical department. 



Our national museum, under the management of Professor JfcCoy, continues 

 to increase in its usefulness. It was highly praised by the naturalists and officers 

 of the Italian scientific expedition, who visited us in the IMagenta and wlio wca-o 

 fresh from the study of the l)est zoological collections in Europe. Our member, 

 Mr. Ulricli, too, who has just returned from an inspection of the principal mining 

 schools of Europe, finds them exceeded by the mining section of our museum, 

 prepared by Professor IMcCoy with the object of facilitating the establishment of 

 a school of mines in the colony by taking advantage of the proximity of the 

 national museum to the university, in wdiich eight out of the ten courses of lectures 

 required are already given. The natural history specimens, mounted eight or ten 

 years ago, stillmaiutain their freshness and state of preservation, which is, no doubt, 

 in a great measure attributable to the fact tliat the museum is surrounded by tho 

 well-i)lanted university grounds, where it is free from the destructive influence of 

 dust and smoke. Various classes of the university students make daily use of 

 the ditierent sections of the museum, while the number of tho general })ublic who 

 visited this institution during the year anudinted to 68,000. 



Among the most interesting colonial specimens adde(l during the year is tho 

 great skeleton of a new species of whalebone whale {J'/ii/sahis Grayi^ ]\[cCov,) 

 which is now beautifully articulated and jihu^ed outside the west wall of the 

 museum. This specimen is 90 feet long. Kext to this in interest are the further 

 donations of Mr. Carson, of Enaliosaurian fossil reptiles from the Eliiulers, to bo 

 described in our proceedings as bearing out the views already laid before this 

 society concerjiing the occurrence of these fossils in Australia. A very large 

 iron meteorite, fntm Cranbourne, weighing 3,000 pounds, has been placed in the 

 museum, which Professor McCoy promises to describe to us at an early meeting. 

 Considerable additions, illustrative of foreign natural history, have been made, 

 and the conchological collection, which is of great extent, is now almost com- 

 pletely named. 



The geological collection is also largely increased, as well as that of the different 

 Artkidata; but it appears that then^ is no more room at present in the half of tho 

 uniseuin already built for their disphiy. 



From the rejtort of tlie goveniment geologist, ]\rr. Selwyn, just published, we 

 are put in possession of the progress made in the geological !-«irvey of the colony- 

 It ai)iH'ars that 55 quarto sheets, each of which contains the geological features 

 of 54 square miles, have already been puldished, and that 11 are ready for the 

 engraver. A collection of 1,248 geological specimens has been arranged and 



