THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 51 



curtailed ; but in order that persons interested should not be 

 debarred from seeing the valuable collections brought together, 

 extra tickets were procurable at one shilling each. This was also 

 an innovation in connection with the Club conversaziones, and, 

 taking into consideration the inclement state of the weather during 

 the currency of the conversazione, the amount taken for ad- 

 missions must be considered very satisfactory. 



The conversazione was inaugurated on Thursday evening with 

 a brief address by Professor Sir Frederick M'Coy, K.C.M.G., 

 D.Sc, F.R.S., one of the patrons of the Club, who .expressed the 

 pleasure it gave him to see the splendid display of natural history 

 specimens made by the members, which he considered would do 

 credit to any city in the world, and in calling attention to the 

 various features in the work of the Club, greatly commended the 

 idea of encouraging young people to give some attention to 

 natural history as affording the best field for original work, and 

 the best possible training for the mind and intellect. 



A vote of thanks to Professor M'Coy for his address was 

 proposed by Baron Sir F. von Mueller, K.C.M.G., who alluded 

 to the great services of the professor to natural science, particularly 

 in the departments of geology and palaeontology, both in England 

 and Victoria. The motion was briefly seconded by Mr. H. T. 

 Tisdall, F.L.S. (President), and carried by acclamation. 



A lecturette, entitled " Orchids," was then delivered by Mr. C. 

 A. Topp, M.A., LL B., F.L.S., in the Upper Hall. He briefly 

 described the principal characteristics of orchids, and by referring 

 to diagrams and specimens demonstrated in a most interesting 

 manner the wonderful construction of the flowers of these plants 

 in order to ensure their fertilization by insects. 



On Friday afternoon the Rev. W. Fielder delivered a lecturette 

 entitled " The History of an Egg and How to Read it," which 

 was well illustrated by lantern slides, showing the development 

 of chicken embryos, prepared by Mr. R. S. Sugars. The 

 lecturette was well attended and excited considerable interest. 



In the evening Mr. A. J. Campbell, F.L.S., briefly recalled the 

 incidents connected with the Club's excursions to Bass Straits with 

 a series of lantern slides of views taken at King Island in 1887, 

 the Kent group in 1890, and the Furneaux group in 1893. These 

 were exceedingly well shown by Mr. J. Searle, and were greatly 

 appreciated. 



As a matter of course, the principal feature of the conversazione 

 was the display of natural history specimens in the main hall by 

 members of the Club, which was equal to, if not superior to, 

 former exhibitions. Many of the exhibits were of a highly 

 scientific character. Thus the microscopical members of the 

 Club combined in a systematic exhibit, arranged so as to show as 

 many types as possible of the different orders of the animal and 

 vegetable kingdoms, while the geologists showed a systematic 



