50 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



and Professor W. B. Spencer, M.A. ; hon. librarian, Mr. E. 

 Anderson ; and hon. secretary, Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth. 



A ballot for five members of committee resulted in the election 

 of Rev. W. Fielder and Messrs. T. S. Hall, M.A., G. R. Hill, 

 J. Shephard, and G. Sweet. 



A unanimous vote of thanks was accorded to the retiring 

 office-bearers. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., brought forward a note on the occurrence 

 of a species of Salp in Port Phillip. 



Mr. C. Frost, F.L.S., contributed some newspaper cuttings on 

 the large amount of spider web found in certain parts of the 

 country during the past month. Mr. Frost referred this to the 

 great proportion of failures of the migratory spiders to float away, 

 and also advanced a theory to account for the migratory instinct. 

 From his own observations he had noticed that snare-weaving 

 spiders can exist much longer without food than ground spiders, 

 and the scarcity of insects on the ground during the autumn 

 prompts the latter to seek new hunting grounds. 



EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. 



In addition to the juvenile prize competition exhibits, the 

 following were the principal exhibits of the evening : — By Mr. 

 A. Coles. — Pair of Brown Quail, Synoicus australis. By Mr. C. 

 French, sen. — Collection of Australian Hawk Moths. By Mr. C. 

 French, jun. — Eggs of Australian Coot, Black-breasted Plover, 

 Common Heron, White-headed Stilt ; also nest and eggs of 

 Orange-fronted Sittella. By Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A.— Salpa 

 mucronata-democratico, a pelagic ascidian taken at Black Roi k, 

 near Sandringham. By Mr. W. H. F. Hill. — Specimens illustrat- 

 ing developement of Empusa (sp.), a fungus parasitic on larvae of 

 Agrotis infusa (Bdv.), and some allied species. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB CONVERSAZIONE. 



The eleventh conversazione of the Field Naturalists' Club of 

 Victoria was held at the Athenaeum Hall, Collins-street, Mel- 

 bourne, on Thursday and Friday, 14th and 15th June, 1894. 



For the first time the committee, taking into consideration that, 

 with the exception of rent of the hall, a two-nights display would 

 not entail more expense than had been incurred on previous 

 occasions for one night, and to the exhibitors would give little, if 

 any, extra trouble, decided to extend the conversazione over two 

 nights and the intervening afternoon, and the experiment proved 

 to be a popular one. Owing to the financial position of the Club 

 not being quite so good as in former years, and to meet the extra 

 expense of rent, the free admission of members' friends was 



