20 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



Mr. G. Weindorfer, in reply for Dr. Sutton, who was unavoid- 

 ably absent, remarked that grasses as well as flowers were col- 

 lected during both trips, and the list would be published with the 

 paper. With regard to the Kan-garoo Grass, he had found it 

 generally at low elevations, both on the Grampians and Mount 

 Erica. He also suggested that the locality would prove a 

 suitable one for a "camp-out" by the Club at a future date, 

 especially as the completion of the Walhalla railway would enable 

 the mount to be visited with much less trouble. 



In this he was supported by Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., who 

 mentioned that the district should be a good one from a 

 zoological point of view, as he had obtained some insects from the 

 locality which until then had been found only in New South Wales. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Abnormal Parrot. — Mr. A. Coles drew attention to his 

 exhibit of a Rosehill Parrakeet, Platycercus eximius, with 

 abnormal colouring, shot near Sale, the head, neck, chest, and 

 under tail coverts being of the ordinary Rosella red ; breast, 

 belly, and thighs canary-yellow ; nape, back, and rump canary- 

 yellow ; tail yellow, shading off to a bluish-white. Wings. — 

 Primaries bluish-white, secondaries and shoulders yellow. 



Alluding to the exhibit, Mr. G. A. Keartland remarked that 

 it was singular that whilst green feathers changed to yellow, the 

 red ones retained their colour. He stated that he had seen the 

 entire plumage of Warbling Grass-Parrakeets yellow. In the 

 case of birds whose natural colours are brown or black the 

 change was to white. He gave an instance of a Pectoral Quail, 

 which, after ten years' captivity, changed to pure white, and the 

 plumage on black fowls will undergo the same change. In these 

 cases the eyes retained their original colour, but in the case of 

 the true albino they are always red. 



Mr. F. Pitcher remarked that for some time past a male Wren, 

 Maluriis superba, with a white head, and a white Blackbird have 

 been constant visitors on the lawns of the Botanical Gardens. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. A. Coles. — Rosehill Parrakeet in yellow plumage. 



By Mr. A. G. Campbell. — Four charts of typical Victorian soils, 

 designed for use in schools ; one large chart to illustrate main 

 principles of weathering of rock and disposition, with upheaval 

 of sediment above sea-level. 



By Mr. C. French, jun. — Scale-insects, Mytilaspis frenchii, 

 Green, new to science, collected at Sorrento by Mr. C. French, 

 jun. ; Saltmarsh Mosquitoes, Culex laheculosus, Coquillet, new to 

 science, collected at Coode Island by Mr. J. A. Leach, B.Sc, and 

 Mr. C. French, jun. 



By Mr. J. A. Hill. — Pied Mouse, Mus musculus, from Kewell, 

 Victoria ; specimens of ants in illustration of paper. 



