52 THE VICTOKIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXIV. 



papers in various proceedings and periodicals to refer to, but 

 since that time works dealing with various departments of 

 natural history have become fairly numerous. Most of these 

 have been referred to from time to time in the pages of the 

 Naturalist, and therefore I may omit further reference now. 



" To show how early an attempt was made in Victoria to 

 popularize natural history, I have here a copy of Mr. S. 

 Hannaford's 'Jottings in Australia,' the scope of which is 

 better described by its secondary title, ' Notes on the Flora and 

 Fauna of Victoria.' This was printed in 1856 by a firm who are 

 still prominent in printing natural history work: I refer to Messrs. 

 Walker, May and Co., the printers of our own journal. The Emu, and 

 Mr. Robt. Hall's publications, and to whose business capabilities 

 this Club is greatly indebted. The volume contains a list of the 

 plants common in Victoria, but in the passing of time the names 

 of genera and species, and even of orders, have been so changed 

 that it takes some thought to decide on what plants are listed. 

 A few years later Mr. Hannaford published ' Sea and River-side 

 Rambles in Victoria ' — a chatty little book, dealing with all 

 descriptions of natural objects met with at Warrnambool, 

 Geelong, Queenscliff, and around Melbourne. The same 

 author, in 1866, published an equally interesting volume, entitled 

 ' Wild Flowers of Tasmania,' in which there are many references 

 to other objects than plants. 



" Perhaps one of the most interesting early volumes on the 

 natural history of Victoria was that published in London in 1861, 

 under the title of ' Bush Wanderings of a Naturalist,' by ' Old 

 Bushman.' The author was Mr. H. W. Wheelwright, who, 

 during 1853-8, spent most of his time in camp near Mordialloc, 

 game shooting for the Melbourne market. Some years ago our 

 member, Mr. A. J. Campbell, contributed an interesting sketch 

 of his life to the Australasian, in which he called him ' Victoria's 

 First Field Naturalist,' but I am inclined to think Mr. Hannaford 

 has a better claim to the title. 



" It will probably surprise many present to learn that so long 

 ago as 1858 was a sketch of the geology of Boroondara — the 

 district now comprised in the populous suburbs of Hawthorn, 

 Kew, and Camberwell— included in a history of Boroondara 

 published by that indefatigable author, James Bonwick, who 

 only recently passed away in London. 



" Doubtless there were other attempts at popularizing our 

 natural history of which I am not aware, and there were no 

 doubt articles published in the newspapers and magazines of the 

 time which would bear perusal at this date, even in the light of 

 our fuller knowledge. 



" Now, before I say my last word as president of our Club, let 

 me thank you all for the kindly way in which my failings as a 



