THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



PAPERS. 



1. By the Rev. E. Halford Hennell, entitled " Notes of a 

 Gippsland Trip." 



Taking the form of a diary, the paper dealt with a camp-out 

 expedition through the Gippsland Lakes. At Metung and on the 

 Tambo good shooting and fishing were obtained, but insects were 

 scarce. At Lake Tyers the collecting results were better, 

 numerous fossils being obtained in the Nowa Nowa arm. An 

 enjoyable trip was brought to a conclusion in the Morwell 

 district, where several tiger snakes were obtained. 



2. By Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth, entitled " The Dispersal of 

 Mistletoe." 



The agent in the dispersal of the Australian mistletoes, belonging 

 to the genus Loranthus, was declared to be a small bird — the 

 Swallow Dicseum — which extracts the seeds from the capsules in 

 which they are enclosed. The discarded shells are found in 

 great numbers under gum-trees. The bird is so small that when 

 the seeds are passed they stick to the bough on which it sits, and 

 in course of time germinate there. Experiments made by the 

 author show, contrary to popular opinion, that it is not necessary 

 for germination that the seeds should first pass through the 

 bird's body. Specimens of the bird and of the mistletoe in 

 various stages of growth were shown in illustration of the paper. 



EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. 



The following were the principal exhibits of the evening: — 

 By Mr. C. E. Borchgrevink. — Specimens of the White Petrel, 

 Procellaria navea, and Wilson's Petrel, Procellaria Wilsoni, from 

 the Antarctic ; also, Godwits from Campbell Island. By Mr. C. 

 French. — Rare moths, comprising Pie^us imj^erialis, from Victoria, 

 and the following Queensland species, viz. : — Charagia splendens, 

 C. Lewini, Ghcerocam2)a Cleopatra, C. Tryoni, Panacra Turneri, 

 P. Joanna, and P., sp. ; Macroglossa, n. sp. ; Dianassa stiff'usa, 

 and Exotrocha liboria. By Mr. C. French, jun. — Eggs of the 

 following Queensland birds, viz. : — White-throated Gerygone, 

 Black-breasted Cincloramphus, Black-throated Crow Shrike ; also, 

 curious Cactus flower (Stapelia stellulala), from Cape of Good 

 Hope. By the Rev. E. H. Hennell, in illustration of paper. — 

 Fossils from Nowa Nowa arm. Lake Tyers ; corals, Cellepora 

 Gambierensis, various corals belonging to the family Turbinolidse, 

 Echinoderm, Clypeaster Gippslandicus ; shells, viz., Pecten 

 coarticus (?), P. Yahle7isis, and two other species, ffinnites 

 Corioensis, H. sp. ; Spondylus pseudoradula, Ostrea, four species, 

 the largest weighing 2 ^ lbs. ; species belonging to Terebratula, 

 Limopsis, &c. ; Polyzoans, not determined ; Coleoptera, 

 Arachnidse, and shellfish from Gippsland Lakes ; reptiles, viz., 

 two Tiger Snakes, Hoplocephalus curtus, and skin of same tanned ; 

 Uinulia Quoyi, Liolepisma, sp., &c. By Mr. G. A. Keartland. — 



