I04 Field Naturalists' Club — Proceedings. [^October*' 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Birds in the Mallee. — Mr. J. C. Goudie forwarded some 

 interesting notes of unusual bird visitors to the Sea Lake 

 district, North- Western Victoria. These consisted of the Black 

 Cockatoo, the Kookaburra, the Black-cheeked Falcon, and the 

 Silver Gull. With regard to the latter, it might be remarked 

 that Sea Lake is over 200 miles from the nearest portion of the 

 coast. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. J. W. Audas. — Specimen of orchid Pterostylis longi- 

 folia, the " Tall Green-hood," with flower stem thirty- three 

 inches long, found during Ringwood excursion, 9th September. 



By Mr. C. J. Gabriel. — Marine shells, Akera soluta, Chem., 

 from Mauritius, also a South Australian specimen ; and Halia 

 pfkimiis, Meusch, from Spain. 



By Mr. W. G. Mackintosh. — Three specimens of wood opal 

 from Tasmania. 



By Mr. J. R. Tovey. — Fruit of the Papaw-tree, Carica 

 papaya, L., a native of tropical America. This tree is cul- 

 tivated in Queensland and elsewhere for the sake of its fruit, 

 which is edible, and has many useful properties. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



Conversazione and Exhibition of Wild Flowers, 26th 

 and 27th September. — The full report will appear in the Novem- 

 ber Naturalist. 



Microscopical Society of Victoria. — The third annual 

 meeting was held on 24th September, when an encouraging 

 report was presented. The new president is Mr. J. Shephard, 

 with the Rev. W. Fielder and Mr. J. Searle as vice-presidents. 

 Dr. J. C. Kaufmann was re-elected hon. secretary. 



Large Blackfish. — An angler who takes a 2-lb. Blackfish, 

 Gadopsis marmoratus, considers himself lucky ; but on 30th 

 August a party of anglers secured 50 lbs. weight of this fish 

 from the Bunyip River. Among them were fish weighing 

 6 lbs. 3 ozs., 5| lbs., 4^ lbs., and 4 lbs. The heaviest fish, 

 measuring 24^ inches in length, 13I in girth, and 5| in depth, 

 was forwarded to the Victorian Anglers' Club, to be stuffed 

 and mounted as a trophy for the club rooms. It is gratifying 

 to know that at Geelong an attempt is being made to rear 

 Blackfish artificially, and thus re-stock our streams with one 

 of the most toothsome of fishes, and one which takes no little 

 art to catch, owing to its retiring habits. 



