18 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



2. By Mr. H. Bullen, entitled " On the Importance of the 

 Tube-length in the Use of the Microscope." The author pointed 

 out the errors into which young beginners, especially, were likely 

 to fall by obtaining eye-pieces, object glasses, and stands from 

 different makers, and using them indiscriminately, and showed 

 by quotations from makers' catalogues that the various makers 

 had different focal lengths for their glasses, and consequently 

 true definition of objects could not be obtained with apparatus 

 derived from various sources. 



Some discussion ensued, which in the main supported the 

 author's contentions. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTE. 



Mr. J. Shephard mentioned that a Diatomaceous deposit, 

 evidently of brackish water origin, had been found by Mr. F. 

 Spry, in the course of the sewerage excavations at South Yarra, 

 at a depth of about 30 ft below the level of the River Yarra, 

 and, from the result of a cursory examination, was apparently the 

 same as the well-known South Yarra deposit obtained many 

 years ago by the late Dr. Coates, during the formation of the 

 railway embankment near the same place. 



EXHIBITS. 



The following were the principal exhibits of the evening : — 

 By Mr. E. Anderson. — Victorian lepidoptera, including fine 

 series of Ogyris abrota, Gastrophora henricaria, &c, bred this 

 season. By Mr. A. Coles. — Two specimens of Australian Gos- 

 hawk, and five specimens and eggs of the spotted variety, in 

 illustration of paper. By Mr. C. French, F.L.S.— 94 species of 

 American Hawk-Moths. By Mr. J. Gabriel — Shells dredged at 

 Western Port Bay. By Mr. R. Hall. — Eight species of Victorian 

 Robins. By Mr. J. A. Kershaw. — Rare Victorian lepidoptera. 

 By Mr. J. G. Luehmann, F.L.S. — New species of Eriostemon and 

 Mesembrianthemum, from Esperance Bay, W. Australia. By Mr. 

 F. M. Reader. — Lipocarpha microcephala and Brachycome scapi- 

 formis, plants new for N.W. Victoria. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



We are pleased to welcome home our fellow-member, Mr. G. A. 

 Keartland, naturalist on the ill-fated Calvert Exploring Expedition 

 in North- West Australia, after an absence of about twelve months. 

 Mr. Keartland has made extensive collections of the natural 

 history of that part of the continent, and will doubtless be able to 

 furnish many interesting notes for future pages. 



Mr. G. Sweet, F.G.S., accompanied by Mrs. Sweet, has left 

 Melbourne to take part in another attempt to ascertain, by boring, 

 something of the life-history, &c, of the coral animal. The scene 

 of operations is the island of Funa-futi, near Fiji. 



