THE 



Qictoviaxx %l a t n v a i i 1 ♦ 



Vol. XIII.— No. 12. MARCH- APRIL, 1897. No. 160. 



(PUBLISHED APRIL S, 1S97.) 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



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

 Society's Hall on Monday evening, 8th March, 1897. The 

 president, Professor W. Baldwin Spencer, M.A., occupied the 

 chair, and about 70 members and visitors were present, including 

 Mr. J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., Curator of the Botanic Gardens, 

 Sydney. 



PAPERS. 



1. By Mr. F. M. Reader (communicated by Mr. C. Frost,F.L.S.), 

 entitled " Contributions to the Flora of Victoria, Part II," The 

 author described a new grass belonging to the genus Stipa, which 

 he had named Stipa acrociliata. It was collected by himself in 

 the Sandy Desert, Lowan, Victoria, in 1895. In aspect it is quite 

 distinct from any described species. 



2. By Mr. A. J. Campbell (communicated by Mr. D. Le Souef), 

 entitled "Three Rare Nests and Eggs of Australian Birds." The 

 author described the nests and eggs of the Purple-breasted Fruit 

 Pigeon and Red-crowned Fruit Pigeon, from Richmond River, 

 New South Wales ; also of Jardine's Campephaga, Victoria. 



3. By Mr. D. Le. Souef, entitled " Notes on a Trip to the 

 Bloomfield River, Queensland." The author gave an interesting 

 account of a trip to the Bloomfield River district, and described 

 his visit to the Hope Islands, near the Barrier Reef, giving a brief 

 sketch of the growth of the coral reefs. He also described a 

 visit to King Plains, where in the lagoons immense numbers of 

 waterfowl were seen. In the same district the disastrous effect 

 of the tick pest was evident on all sides. The paper was 

 illustrated by a series of lantern views from photographs taken by 

 Mr. Le Souef and kindly shown by Mr. J. Searle. A short dis- 

 cussion ensued, in which Mr. E. J. Thomas and Professor W. 

 Baldwin Spencer took part. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. R. Hall read a note on a White-faced Xerophila, X. leu- 

 copsis, which had built its nest in the rolled-up curtain of a 

 waggonette at Lake Boga, in the Swan Hill district, and also a 

 note on the plumage and nidification of the Hooded Robin, 

 giving his observations on the various changes of plumage in 

 these interesting birds. 



Mr. C. Frost, F.L.S., mentioned having noticed the Spine- 



