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Vol. XI.— No. 10. JANUARY, 1895. No. 134. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting was held in the Royal Society's 

 Hall on Monday evening, 14th January, 1895. The President 

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

 members and visitors were present. 



REPORTS. 



Reports of the excursion to Heidelberg and of the camp-out at 

 Phillip Island were received from the respective leaders, Mr. J. 

 Shephard and Mr. H. P. C. Ash worth. 



PAPER. 



By Messrs. H. P. C. Ashworth and D. Le Souef, entitled 

 " Albatross Island and the Hunter Group." 



During a recent visit to these islands the authors were enabled 

 to land on Albatross Island, which had not been visited for 25 

 years. The island was first discovered by Bass and Flinders in 

 1798, and then received its name from the fact that it was covered 

 with brooding Albatrosses. The trip was undertaken in the hope 

 that these birds would still be found there, and this proved to be the 

 case. They were identified as the Shy Albatross, Diomedea cauta 

 — the nidification of which was previously undescribed — and were 

 found sitting on their nests, in large numbers, at the edge of the 

 cliffs. The island was found to be a mass of quartz con- 

 glomerate, intersected by softer strata, which have been much 

 eroded by the waves, forming large caves. In one of these the 

 authors were obliged to live for six days, a gale preventing the 

 cutter from approaching. When at last they got off their boat 

 was swamped, causing serious loss to one of the party. Sub- 

 sequently they visited Penguin Island and secured some in- 

 teresting photographs of the Pelican rookery which is found there. 

 The paper was illustrated by a beautiful series of limelight views, 

 shown by Mr. J. Searle with his usual skill. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTE. 



A note was contributed by Mr. G. E. F. Hill commending the 

 protection of the Frilled or Dew Lizard to vignerons as being 

 the only living creature which destroys the caterpillars of the 

 Vine Moth. 



EXHIBITION OF SPECIMENS. 



The following were the principal exhibits of the evening: — 

 By Mr. E. Anderson. — Victorian form of the moth S'pilosoma 

 glatygni, for comparison with form from Albatross Island. By 

 Mr. H. P. C. Ashworth. — Photographs from Phillip Island ex- 

 cursion. By Messrs. H. P. C. Ashworth and D. Le Souef. — Shy 

 Albatross, Diomedea cauta, with nest and eggs, from Albatross 



