THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



ELECTIONS. 



On a ballot being taken, Mr. C. A. Robinson, 257 Auburn- 

 road, Auburn, was elected an ordinary, and Mr. H. Ernest Gatlifif 

 a country member of the Club. 



The President took the opportunity of mentioning the return of 

 our fellow member, Professor W. Baldwin Spencer, M.A., F.R.S., 

 who, with Mr. F. J. Gillen, had spent some twelve months among 

 the aboriginals in the interior of Australia, and had brought back 

 a very valuable collection of material for future work. 



Mr. D. Le Souef moved, and Mr. G. B. Pritchard seconded — 

 " That Professor Spencer be congratulated on the successful 

 results of his recent expedition." 



PAPERS. 



I. By Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., entitled— "Shell-fish Food 

 Remains of Australian Aboriginals." 



In a very interesting paper, illustrated with some very good 

 lantern views, the author drew attention to the large quantities of 

 broken shells which are .to be found on many parts of the Vic- 

 torian coast, which he contended were the remains of shell-fish 

 gathered by the aboriginals for food, and were the accumulation 

 of many years. The author stated that many deposits, which were 

 commonly supposed to be raised beaches, would be found to be 

 the remains of kitchen-middens formed by the natives, and sug- 

 gested that further research should be made in suitable localites. 



In discussing the paper Mr. G. A. Keartland mentioned that 

 he had found the aboriginals on the Fitzroy River, North-Western 

 Australia, engaged in collecting mussels, which they boiled, and 

 on going to their camp found a deposit of some ten or fifteen 

 drayloads of these shells, forming the results of many years' col- 

 lecting. 



Mr, G. B. Pritchard could not altogether agree with Mr. Le 

 Souefs conclusions, being of opinion that the kitchen-middens 

 were not so common as stated, and discussed the possibility of 

 the shells being blown up to the top of the cliflfs by strong winds. 



The president (Mr. T. S. Hall) stated that there was no doubt 

 as to the extent of country covered with the middens, and men- 

 tioned several instances where these occur in Victoria, some of 

 which contained enormous quantities of shells, most of which had 

 been broken, evidently by the aboriginals, and which must have 

 taken hundreds of years to collect. 



Messrs. G. Coghill, A. E. Kitson, and F. Wisewould also dis- 

 cussed the paper. 



Owing to the lateness of the hour the remainder of the papers 

 on the notice paper had to be postponed. 



On the motion of Messrs. J. Stickland and D. Le Souef, a vote 

 of thanks was accorded Mr. J. Searle for again placing his lantern 

 at the disposal of the Club. 



