Cbe Uictorian naturalist. 



Vol. XX.— No. 6. OCTOBER 8, 1903. No. 238. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA, 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held in the 

 Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, 14th September, 1903. 

 The president, Mr. O. A. Sayce, occupied the chair, and about 

 100 members and friends were present. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the Club excursion to Greensborough on Saturday, 

 15th August, was read by the leader, Mr. G. Coghill, who stated 

 that over twenty members and friends attended. The main 

 object of the visit was to see the Silver Wattles, Acacia dealbata, 

 in bloom, and members were not disappointed, for many lovely 

 specimens were seen along the banks of the Plenty River. 

 Masses of Clematis microphylla, in full bloom, festooned the 

 smaller shrubs, &c., and added beauty to the scene. The 

 Mistletoe, Loranthus pendulus, was found in bloom on many of 

 the gum-trees, and closer examination disclosed several seeds just 

 germinating on the branches of the trees. Though the district is 

 not a particularly good one from a botanist's point of view, still 

 several interesting species of plants were met with, among which 

 may be mentioned GreviUea rosmarlnifolia, somewhat rare on the 

 rocky banks of the river ; Hovea heterophyUa, Styphelia serrulata, 

 Veronica calycina, and Aster stellulatus. The fern, Woodwardia 

 caiidata, was also obtained. 



A report of the excursion to Cheltenham on Saturday, 29th 

 August, was given by Mr. G. Weindorfer, who acted as leader of 

 the botanical section. He stated that, being early in the season, 

 only about twenty species were obtained in bloom. Of these, 

 Euphrasia brownii, Acacia oxycedrus, and Sprengelia incarnata 

 were in the most perfect condition. The country was very 

 swampy, and prevented much investigation. Mr. J. Stickland 

 reported that the pond-life section of the party obtained a fair 

 variety of species characteristic of the district, but one rotifer 

 obtained does not seem to have been recorded before, and will 

 probably prove new to science. 



A report of the excursion to Ringwood on Saturday, 12th 

 September, was given by the leader, Mr. C. French, jun., who 

 reported a good attendance of members. A number of interesting 

 plants were met with, such as Ophioglossum vulgatum (in fruit), 

 Phylloylossum drummondi, Utricidaria dichotoma ; the orchids 

 Galadenia deformis, Pterostylis harhata, Diuris maculata, and 

 the rare Prasophyllum archeri (in seed). Acacia myrtifolia was 

 beautifully in bloom, and a novelty in Wurmhea dioica, with pink 



