THE 



Vol. XII.— No. 1. APRIL, 1895. No. 137. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held at the 

 Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, 8th April, 1895. 

 Professor W, Baldwin Spencer, a vice-president, occupied the 

 chair, and some 90 members and visitors were present. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



A letter was read from Mr. G. E. Shepherd, of Somerville, 

 asking if the reported finding of the eggs of the Curlew on Robin 

 Island, Bass Strait, was authentic. Dr. W. Macgillivray remarked 

 that he had seen the eggs on which the report was founded, and 

 that they were, in his opinion, those of the Sooty Oyster-catcher. 

 As is well known, the Curlew breeds in Siberia, and migrates 

 through China and Japan to Australia every year. 



REPORTS. 



Reports of the recent excursions to Willsmere and Maribyrnong 

 were received from the respective leaders, Messrs. J. and W. 

 Stickland and Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A. 



ELECTION OF MEMBER. 



On a ballot being taken Mr. Pratt was duly elected a 

 member of the Club. 



VISITOR. 



Baron von Mueller, K.C.M.G., introduced to the meeting Mr. 

 C. Egeberg Borchgrevink, the scientist who accompanied the 

 whsder Aritarctic on her recent voyage to the South Polar regions. 

 In his introductory remarks the Baron laid great stress on the 

 importance of Antarctic exploration for commercial as well as for 

 scientific reasons. Although the land lies under our own regions 

 it must be remembered that South Africa has also facilities for 

 reaching it. The importance of Antarctic research to geology 

 and geography cannot be over-estimated. In the North there 

 are no less than three expeditions engaged under far less favour- 

 able circumstances, the most notable being that of Mr. Borch- 

 grevink's daring compatriot, Nansen, which has now been out 

 for nearly two years. 



Mr. Borchgrevink, who was well received, then proceeded to 

 give an outline of the zoological results of the voyage as follows: — 



" I have not prepared any set lecture for this evening, but am 



