THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 41 



Among insects the Buprestidas and Longicorns are more 

 extensively developed in these two countries than elsewhere. 

 The freshwater crabs and crayfish tell the same tale of alliance 

 with South America and distinctness from Asia. On the other 

 hand, the evident alliances with Asia are practically confined 

 amongst mammals to the rats, which seem capable of finding 

 their way almost anywhere. 



It has been objected that if there was this former connection, 

 the agreement between Patagonian and Australian animals should 

 be greater than it is, for there are many groups represented there 

 which are absent here. The explanation given, the truth of 

 which is vouched for by many independent lines of research, is 

 that the central and northern part of South America, which then 

 contained these forms, was divided from the south by a sea, 

 which was only bridged after the connection with the now 

 vanished " Antarctica " had broken down. 



The present address professes only to give in rough outline, 

 with the omission of the large number of small facts which afford 

 cumulative proofs, and which exigencies of time and space 

 forbid my quoting, the now generally accepted idea that the bulk 

 of the Australian fauna reached us by way of South America 

 from an almost vanished equatorial continent where it had its 

 origin. 



Messrs. F. G. A. Barnard, J. Shephard, and F. Pitcher con- 

 gratulated Mr. Hall on the interesting character of his address, 

 and after he had replied to several questions a vote of thanks, 

 moved by Mr. D. Best and seconded by Mr. C. M. Maplestone, 

 was accorded to him and carried by acclamation. 



The newly-elected president, Mr. O. A. Sayce, then took the 

 chair, and in welcoming him to the position Mr. Hall referred to 

 the sound scientific work which Mr. Sayce had been carrying on 

 for some time past. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. G. Coghill. — Specimens of Banksia collina (flowers) 

 and Lycopodinm de7isum, from Warburton. 



By Mr. A. Coles. — Three specimens of young opossum taken 

 at Woodstock from the pouches of three females on ist June, the 

 first day of the open season. 



By Mr. C. Coles — Pink-breasted Robin, Petrcecarhodinogastra; 

 Olive Thickhead, Pachycephala olivacea ; Yellow-eared Honey- 

 eater, Plilotis lewini, from the fern gullies on the Don Valley, 

 Launching Place. 



By Mr. C. French, jun. — Specimens illustrating the life-history 

 of the moth Eulechria melesella, Newm., from Oakleigh, a de- 

 structive pest to lawns, &c. ; also. Native Cucumber, Melothria 

 muelleri, collected near Laverton, new for southern part of Vic- 

 toria, and only previously recorded from the N.W. of Victoria. 



