Cl)e Uktorlan naturaltsi 



Vol. XIX.— No. 12. APRIL 9, 1903. No. 232. 



FIELD NATURALISTS" CLUB OF VICTORIA, 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held in the Royal 

 Society's Hall on Monday evening, 9th March, 1903. The 

 president, Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., occupied the chair, and about 

 forty-five members and visitors were present. 



REPORTS. 



Mr. J. Shephard reported that, owing to bad weather, the 

 excursionists to Black Rock on Saturday, 14th February, were 

 disappointed with the results of their outing. The intention was 

 to have used the tow-net for surface forms, but, owing to the water 

 being too rough, the attempt made was unsuccessful. 



The hon. librarian reported the receipt of the following 

 donations to the library : — " Proceedings of the Royal Society of 

 Victoria," new series, vol. xv., part 2 (1903), from the society; 

 Wombat, vol. v., part 4 (December, 1902), from the Geelong Field 

 Naturalists' Club ; The Agricultiiral Gazette of New South Wales, 

 vol. xiii. (1902), vol. xiv., parts i and 2 (1903), from the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, New South Wales ; " Forest Flora of New 

 South Wales," part i., by J. H. Maiden, F.L.S., Government 

 Botanist, from the author ; Nature Notes, January, 1903, from the 

 Selborne Society, London ; Knowledge, February, 1903, from the 

 proprietors. 



PAPERS. 



T. By Mr. S. P. Townsend, entitled " A Trip to Mud Island 

 Port Phillip Bay." 



The author, in an interesting paper, which was read by Mr. C. 

 Coles, dealt principally with the bird life of the island, and more 

 particularly with the Storm Petrel rookeries, which, the author 

 stated, were evidently at one time very extensive, but which have 

 been to a great extent destroyed by the guano-diggers. He gave 

 some valuable information as to the habits of these birds and the 

 results of two separate visits to the island, and suggested the 

 advisability of the Government protecting these rookeries from 

 demolition by the guano-diggers. 



In the discussion which followed Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., 

 stated that members would be glad to know that the Government 

 have issued a notice protecting the Petrels and preventing the 

 removal of the soil and guano from the rookeries. 



The President and Messrs. F. G. A. Barnard, G. Coghill, A. 

 Coles, and S. W. Fulton also discussed the paper, the latter stating 



