THE 



5U i c t o v x a u It a t it t a I i 1. 



Vol. XI.— No. 5. AUGUST, 1894. No. 129. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



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

 Society's Hall on Monday evening, 13th August, 1894. The 

 president, Mr. H. T. Tisdall, F.L.S., occupied the chair, and some 

 80 members and visitors were present. 



REPORT. 



The hon. secretary reported that a meeting for practical work 

 was held on Monday evening, the 23rd July, when the " Bean 

 Plant," a type of the course in structural botany, was studied 

 under the direction of Mr. J. Shephard. 



ELECTION OF MEMBERS. 



On a ballot being taken, Messrs. D. B. Ferguson, R. Harvie, 

 and A. Ff. Westley were duly elected members of the Club. 



GENERAL BUSINESS. 



The Chairman referred to the great distinction which had been 

 recently conferred on one of the patrons of the Club, Baron Sir 

 F. von Mueller, K.C.M.G., by the French Institute, in electing 

 him a member in succession to the late Alphonse de Candolle, 

 and read a biographical notice written some thirty years ago by 

 the late Rev. Dr. Woolls, F.L.S. It was unanimously decided to 

 convey the congratulations of the Club to Baron von Mueller. 



PAPER. 



By Rev. Walter Fielder, entitled " A Study of Professor 

 Drummond's Ascent of Man." 



Many of the more impressive and eloquent passages of this 

 notable work were quoted, and the chief contentions were 

 endorsed by the reader. The pedigree of man, as revealed by 

 embryology, was held to be compatible only with the doctrine of 

 evolution, and to be in reality not a descent or degradation, but 

 a great exaltation, and, further, that evolution having producd man 

 had reached its climax. 



An animated discussion followed, in which Messrs. Anderson, 

 Coles, Cox, Kitson,- Shephard, and Rev. Mr. Rammage took part. 



PROTECTION OF MAGPIES. 



In consequence of a communication from the Customs Depart- 

 ment, a discussion was invited on the subject " Should Magpies 

 be Protected?" The matter was brought forward by the receipt of 

 a complaint from a resident of Mitcham, that the Magpies were 

 eating all the maize crops, and were as large as hens in that district. 



