Cbe Uictoridn naturalist 



Vol. XXIV.— No. 5. SEPTEMBER 5, 1907. No. 285. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



A SPECIAL general meeting was held in the Royal Society's Hall 

 on Monday evening, i2th August, 1907, to consider a proposed 

 addition to the rules. 



The president, Mr. G. A. Keartland, occupied the chair, and 

 about 100 members and visitors were present. 



In accordance with his notice of motion given at the previous 

 meeting. Professor A. J. Ewart moved — "That with regard to all 

 plants exhibited at the Field Naturalists' Club meetings, or 

 recorded in the Victorian Naturalist, as new to science, to the 

 State or its districts, at least one specimen of each such plant 

 shall become the property of the Field Naturalists' Club, and 

 shall be deposited for reference either in the Club's rooms or in 

 the National Herbarium, and that unless this condition be 

 fulfilled no record shall be accepted for publication except by 

 resolution of the committee for the time being." 



In speaking to the motion. Prof. Ewart explained that in 

 consequence of the publication in the Victorian Naturalist of 

 inaccurate records of plants as new to science or to the State, 

 considerable confusion had been created, to remedy which 

 necessitated a great amount of time and labour being spent in 

 searching through piles of specimens. He stated that in order to 

 be of value to future workers, it was the duty of the Club to keep 

 such records as accurate as possible. Great difficulty was often 

 experienced in ascertaining their correctness, owing to the absence 

 of specimens of the plants dealt with. It was most important 

 that mistakes should be corrected without loss of time, and he 

 thought that the adoption of the rule suggested would ensure the 

 immediate correction of any errors which might be made. It 

 was generally a very easy matter to obtain duplicate series of 

 specimens, though, in the case of certain plants, such as orchids, 

 there might at times be some little difficulty. He thought, 

 however, that, should special cases arise, some way would be 

 found by which the rule might still be observed. 



Mr. G. Coghill seconded the motion. 



Mr. F. G. A. Barnard thought that it was hardly fair to single 

 out botanists, and that the proposed rule should apply to all 

 branches of natural history. He moved — "That the matter be 

 postponed for further consideration, so as to give the committee 

 an opportunity of considering whether it should not apply to all 

 branches of natural history." 



Mr. A. D. Hardy seconded the amendment, and said that a 



