THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 47 



ELECTION OF NEW MEMBER. 



On a ballot being taken, Miss Holzer was elected a member 

 of the Club. 



PRIZE COMPETITION FOR NATURAL HISTORY SPECIMENS. 



Baron von Mueller, K.C.M.G., had kindly consented to 

 distribute the prizes in connection with the prize competition for 

 natural history specimens, and before doing so he introduced 

 Mr. W. Finzelbach, assistant to the Botanical Laboratory at 

 Geneva, who acknowledged his reception in a very entertaining 

 speech. The work of distributing the prizes then commenced, 

 and in his introductory remarks Baron von Mueller passed in 

 review the educative value of the study of natural science, and 

 referred to the healthy enthusiasm which a love of Nature 

 incited — an enthusiasm which would influence for good not only 

 the individual but the state, as well as foster reverence in all its 

 phases. These remarks were emphasized by a personal reference 

 to his first original work, begun at the age of 14 years, and not 

 completed till five years afterwards. The prizes were then 

 distributed to those competitors who had gained first and second 

 places in the various classes (see list of competitors in June 

 number of the Naturalist), each prize being accompanied by a 

 few kindly remarks to the recipients.. A vote of thanks was 

 proposed by Mr. W. H. Archer, F.L.S., who bore testimony to 

 the magnificent work Baron von Mueller had done in botanical 

 science, a fact which made the advice he tendered to the 

 competitors so forcible, since it was that of a worker to future 

 workers. The vote was carried by acclamation. 



EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. 



The meeting terminated, as usual, by a good display of exhibits, 

 of which the following is a list : — By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — 

 Case of Victorian insects. By Miss Cochrane. — Paintings of 

 orchids. By Mr. A. Coles. — Black-tailed Tribonyx, Spotted 

 Water Crake, Balgowlah Lizards, and Rock Scorpion from New 

 South Wales. By Mr. F. J. Ellemor. — Specimens of 18 species 

 of birds taken at Lake Charm, of which the following deserve 

 mention : — Petrceca goodenovii (Red-Capped Robin), I'latycercus 

 bamardi (Barnard's Parrakeet),pair; Erythrogonys ductus (Banded 

 Red- Knee), pair; Tribonyx ventralis (Black-tailed Tribonyx), pair; 

 Malacorhynchus membranaceus (Membranaceous Duck), pair ; 

 Erismatura australis (Blue-billed Duck), pair. By Rev. W. 

 Fielder. — Nautilus pompilius (Pearly Nautilus), with shell ; 

 Argonauta orizata (Paper Nautilus), with egg case. By Victorian 

 Department of Agriculture (Entomological Branch). — Two cabinet 

 drawers of named predatory Coleoptera of Australia; chart 



