THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. G. A. Keartland mentioned that a specimen of Barnard's 

 Parrakeet, Platycercus barnardi, which was almost exclusively 

 a dry country bird, had been seen recently at South Brighton. 



Mr. C. French, jun., read the following extract from a letter 

 received from a correspondent residing in the Wimmera District : — 

 " A short time ago, in the garden here, there were great numbers 

 of New Holland Honey-eaters ; but eating the blossoms of the 

 Sugar Gum, Eucalyptus corynocalyx, apparently killed them all, 

 as they were found lying dead all over the garden. I feel sure 

 it was the Sugar Gum tree blossoms that killed them, for a friend 

 of mine who had a Rosehill Parrakeet gave it some of the 

 blossoms, with the result that the parrakeet died in a very short 

 time." 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. E. Anderson. — Drawing of moth, Gastrophora henri- 

 caria, at rest ; specimens of Phallaria ophiusaria, photograph of 

 larvae, and sketch of moth at rest. 



By Mr. A. Campbell, jun. — Skins of Mutton-bird or Short- 

 tailed Petrel, Puffinus tenuirostris, showing young in down and 

 in first coat of feathers; also'Penguin, Etidyptula undina, Gld., 

 showing young in different stages of plumage. 



By Mr. A. Coles. — Pair- of White-throated Nightjars, Euros- 

 topus albigidaris. The male was shot at Bulla on 5th April, 

 and the female at Beaconsfield on 28th March. This species is 

 rarely met with. 



By Mr. C. French, jun. — Two new Victorian scale insects — 

 Eriococcus sordidiis, Green, on Helichrysum ferruginium ; and 

 Aspidioius immacidatus, Green, on Styphelia, sp. 



By Master C. French. — Rare eggs of White-eyebrowed Water 

 Crake, clutch of six, from Northern Australia. 



By Messrs. S. W. Fulton and F. E. Grant. — Crustaceans col- 

 lected during Club's camp-out at Shoreham. 



By Mr. R. Hall. — Salps preserved 2^ years ago in formol 

 4 per cent, and in methylated spirit 50 per cent. ; locality, 

 Southern Ocean. 



By Mr. A. D. Hardy. — Specimens of Asbestos changed by re- 

 placement by Silica, and with parts apparently fused, from Caster- 

 ton district ; Asbestos from Beaconsfield, Tasmania; and Graphite 

 from Castlemaine, Victoria. 



By Mr. J. A. Kershaw. — Marine animals of various kinds 

 collected during Club's camp-out at Shoreham. 



By Mr. A. E. Kitson, F.G.S.— Shell-bearing clay from black 

 clay band above basalt in the new cut at the Yarra Improvement 

 Works, near Botanical Gardens, Melbourne. 



By Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S.— Samples of shells, native 

 tomahawk, knife, and other implements found on native kitchen- 

 middens, in illustration of paper. 



