St. John, Notes on the " River White Gum." [^^'^ 



ict. Nat. 

 August 



The specimens exhibited were obtained from near the Bemm 

 and Cann Rivers, also at Hospital and Euchre Creeks, East 

 Gippsland. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



A PLEA FOR "NOTES AND QUERIES" IN THE 

 NATURALIST. 



To the Editor, Victorian Naturalist. 



Sir, — I would like to bring under the notice of your readers 

 the following passage from Montaigne's " Essays " : — " I would 

 have everyone write what he knows, and as much as he knows, 

 but no more ; and that not in this only, but in all other subjects. 

 For such a person may have some particular knowledge and 

 experience of the nature of such a fountain, or such a person, 

 that as to other things knows no more than what everybody 

 does, and yet to keep a clutter with this little pittance of his 

 will undertake to write the whole body of physicks ; a vice 

 from whence great inconveniences derive their original." 



From time to time members of the F.N.C. are rebuked for not 

 bringing forward observed facts in natural history, par- 

 ticularly by Dr. T. S. Hall, who, in a paper some time ago, 

 pointed out a number of instances where information was 

 wanted by scientists. 



Now, it appears to me that a vast amount of that " un- 

 garnered grain " would be husbanded if there was a suitable 

 storehouse for its reception in the pages of the Naturalist, 

 under such a heading as "Notes and Queries." 



Many of our members must have observed some trait or 

 habit of some particular plant or animal which, though inter- 

 esting, or may be valuable, is not sufficient of itself to form the 

 matter for a paper, nor yet suitable for contribution as a 

 " natural history note " at the Club meetings ; but, put into 

 a paragraph or two in the "Notes and Queries" column, the 

 information would be on record and available to everyone. 



