50 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



America by cultivating such fungi. In Kansas the Chintz Bug 

 plague has been effectually kept in check ; and in France it was 

 estimated that 70 per cent, of a very destructive pest, second 

 only to the Phylloxera, was killed by this means alone. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTE. 



Professor Spencer announced that, as the result of experiments 

 by Professor Fraser, of Edinburgh, and Dr. Martin, of Sydney, it 

 has been satisfactorily demonstrated that the serum of animals 

 which have been injected with small doses of snake poison is a 

 powerful antidote to snake-bite. The new remedy is therefore 

 analogous to anti-toxin for diphtheria. The blood has the power 

 •of putting out the antidote and this property can be cultivated to 

 such a degree that an injection fifty times greater than would be 

 ■necessary to cause death may be administered with impunity. 



EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. 



The following were the principal exhibits of the evening : — By 

 the Department of Agriculture. — Proof plates of part iii. of the 

 '' Handbook of Destructive Insects of Victoria," By Mr. A. 

 Coles. — Specimen of Powerful Owl {Ninox strenua), with opossum. 

 By Mr. C. French, F.L.S. — 45 species of Buprestid Beetles new 

 to science, in illustration of paper, including Calodeina plebeijtts 

 and Metaxymorpha gloriosa, Megacephala cylindr-ica, Howitti, and 

 Frenchi, the latter being new ; also Cetonias, Iscliiopsopha Bourkei 

 and Dilochrosis Frenchi, both new. By Mr. C. French, jun. — Rare 

 Que-Tisland eggs, \\z.— Pitta similvma, Grauculus hyperculuc9is, 

 Podurgns Papuensis, Mimeta Jlavocintra, Philemon buceroides, 

 C ollyriocincla parvissinia ; also the very rare eggs of the Pink- 

 naped Bower Bird, Chlamydodera orientalis, first time exhibited in 

 Victoria. By Mr. J. Gabriel. ^ — Egg of Calyptorhynchus Banksii, 

 Banksian Black Cockatoo, from Western Queensland. By 

 Mr. James Mitchell. — Specimen of Older Basalt, showing 

 Cmelenite, Analcite, and Natrolite ; Victorian Zeolites from 

 Flinders, also another specimen showing Natrolite ; specimen of 

 Newer Basalt, showing Phacolite and Calcite, from neighbour- 

 hood of Melbourne. By Baron von Mueller, K.C.M.G. — 

 Specimens of Ilelichrysum apiculalum from more than 400 

 localities, demonstrating the geographical distribution of the 

 species through all Australia ; specimens of Dodonoea viscosa 

 from more than 200 Australian localities, to show variability of 

 this species ; specimens of Australian plants collected and 

 named by R. Brown, 1802-1805 ; specimens of Australian plants 

 collected by Professor Kerner, to show perfection and elegance of 

 preparation ; specimens showing dissections of plants ; medicinal 

 plants, prepared by Mr. Buysman in Holland, accompanied by 

 tubes containing dissections in alcohol ; specimen o{ Carex agas- 



