78 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



seemed strange that the trees which had been cut appeared to be 

 blooming earlier than the others. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. E. E. Barker, F.R.M.S., mentioned that for about two 

 weeks he liad had under observation a pair of Indian Minahs, which 

 had selected as a site for their nest one of the electric arc lamps 

 in St. Kilda-road, and he had been informed by the electrician 

 who had charge of the lamps that he had several times removed 

 the nest, but on each occasion found it rebuilt the next day. 

 Finally, on the previous day he had found it again rebuilt and an 

 egg deposited within. 



Mr. H. J. Coles stated that during the past few weeks seventeen 

 Grass Owls, Stric Candida, Tick., had been forwarded to him from 

 various localities ; fifteen of the birds had been picked up dead, 

 and were in very poor condition, being much emaciated. 



Mr. G. A. Keartland said that he had noticed the same thing, 

 and had heard of a number of dead owls being picked up around 

 Melbourne. It seemed that the -birds had been attracted from all 

 parts of the country by the recent plague of mice which had 

 appeared in the north-western part of the State, and while the 

 mice were abundant found ample food, and were in excellent 

 condition, but as the mice disappeared the birds seemed to die of 

 starvation. 



Mr. G. A. Keartland read an extract from the Field (London) 

 describing a collection of living parrakeets in the aviaries of Mr. 

 W. R. Fasey, at Snaresbrook, Epping Forest, which stated that 

 among other well-known species which were breeding there was a 

 pair of the Alexandra Parrakeet, S2Mthopterns alexandrre, of 

 Central Australia. 



MICROSCOPICAL EXHIBITS. 



As a desire had been frequently expressed that an evening 

 should be set apart for an exhibition of specimens under micro- 

 scopes, the committee decided to omit the reading of any papers 

 at this meeting, and devote extended lime to the conversazione 

 and exhibition of specimens. 



Microscopes and exhibits were, among others, provided by Mr. 

 J. Booth, who showed botanical and other objects ; Mr. J. 

 Gabriel, Victorian Polyzoa ; Mr. A. D. Hardy, fresh-water Algse, 

 various Desmids, Diatoms, &c., and Euglena, sp., probably new, 

 mounted specimen from Box Hill, 1901, and living forms from 

 Doncaster, 1905 ; Mr. J. Stickland, a protozoan, Paramcecium 

 bursaria, an interesting chlorophyll-bearing animalcule, and 

 another, probably Colpidiitm cuculhis, obtained in water which 

 had collected in a tin during the winter ; also mounted fresh- 

 water Algae, including Pandorina moriim, and a species of 

 Zygnema showing lateral conjugation ; Mr. P. M. Ware, histo- 

 logical sections. 



