Vol. II. 

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I Australasian Ornithologists' Unio)i. 127 



man, the meeting closed. During the evening two flashlights 

 were taken by Mr. T. G. Campbell, the second of which, when 

 members were in less formal mood than during the dinner, was 

 shown as an introductory picture at the lecture on the following 

 evening. 



Second Day. 



A most enjoyable afternoon was spent by visiting and several 

 local members at the Zoological Gardens, whither they pro- 

 ceeded on the invitation of the Council of the Zoological and 

 Acclimatization Society. After the many objects of interest in 

 the Gardens had been pointed out by Mr. D. Le Souef, who 

 took the greatest pains to let members see all worth seeing and 

 to afford information, the party were cordially entertained by 

 Mr. and Mrs. Le Souef. 



On Thursday evening the Athenaeum was well filled on the 

 occasion of a series of three lecturettes, " The Islands of Bass 

 Strait," being delivered. His Excellency Sir Geo. Sydenham 

 Clarke, F.R.S., took the chair, and introduced the lecturers. An 

 admirable series of over lOO lantern slides had been prepared 

 for the occasion. Mr. A. J. Campbell (who was first lecturer) 

 dealt principally with a trip taken to King Island by members 

 of the Field Naturalists' Club, and illustrated his remarks by 

 maps of the Strait and photos of many interesting scenes and 

 incidents. 



Mr. Le Souef showed pictures of Kent Group, and gave some 

 valuable details of bird and other life thereon. 



The third section of the lecture was to have been delivered by 

 Mr. J. F. Bradly, but owing to his indisposition, Mr. F. R. 

 Godfrey kindly read his paper on the Furneaux Group of Islands 

 for him. The peculiar population, descendants of aborigines, 

 whalers, sealers, and other adventurers of the early days, was 

 described as an almost primitive, guileless, and decidedly 

 indolent people, living mainly on the annual harvest of Mutton- 

 Birds. It is a community which has apparently fallen as far 

 behind the times as the mutineers of the Bounty on Pitcairn 

 Island, though physically it is a fine race, as the group photos, 

 of islanders proved. [In commenting on the lectures The Argus 

 says : — " The splendid series of photographs which illustrated 

 these lecturettes were unique. Some of them, showing the 

 strange sea bird rookeries, have been described in England as the 

 finest bird photographs ever taken."] 



For the photographs Messrs. Ashworth, Campbell, Le Souef, 

 and Wood were responsible. 



Sir Malcolm M'Eacharn having, at the end of the lectures, pro- 

 posed a vote of thanks to His Excellency the Governor for 

 presiding, which was carried by acclamation, Sir George S. 

 Clarke said the evening had been an intellectual treat. The 

 charm of these excursions was so obvious that they made one 

 wish to discard starched shirts and all such formalities, and 



