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Vol. XIV.— No. 9. JANUARY 6, 1898. No. 169. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held at the Royal 

 Society's Hall on Monday evening, 13th December, 1897. Mr. 

 T. S. Hall, M.A., one of the vice-presidents, occupied the chair, 

 and about 30 members and visitors were present. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the Club excursion to Somerton on Saturday, 20th 

 November, was read by the leader, Mr. F. G. A. Barnard, who 

 stated that the principal objects secured were coleopterous larvae, 

 obtained chiefly in the branches of trees torn off in the severe 

 gale of the previous evening. 



A report of the Club excursion to Black Rock on Saturday, 

 nth December, was read by the leader, Mr. H. T. Tisdall, who 

 stated that though it was nearly high tide a fair number of algse 

 were obtained, including one, Caulerpa sedoides, which is 

 especially rare. He was very pleased with the prospects of the 

 locality, and hoped another excursion would be arranged for a 

 time when the tide would be low. 



Mr. Stickland stated that a meeting for practical work had 

 been held on Monday evening, 22nd November, when the Rev. 

 W. Fielder continued his course, his subject being " Histology 

 of the Nervous System." 



ELECTION OF MEMBERS. 



On a ballot being taken, Mr. Alex. Fraser, 39 Queen-street, 

 was duly elected a member of the club. 



PAPERS. 



1. By Mr. G. E. Shepherd, entitled " On the Nidification of 

 the Emu Wren, Stipiturus malac/mrus." 



The author described the finding of nests of this bird on 

 several occasions and exhibited a nest with its immediate sur- 

 roundings intact to show members the extreme density of the 

 undergrowth in which they build and the difficulty of detecting 

 the nest. 



In the discussion which followed Messrs. Le Souef and Camp- 

 bell joined, and it was mentioned that Mr. Shepherd was the 

 only member of the Club who had been successful in finding the 

 nest of the Emu Wren. 



