THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



JOHANNESBURG FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 

 Inquiries from friends as to the natural history of the Transvaal 

 must be the excuse for the following brief notes on the recently 

 formed Johannesburg Field Naturalists' Club and its possibilities. 



Owing to the great excitement and unrest caused by the reform 

 movement of 1895-96, it was not till about six months after my 

 arrival in Johannesburg that I had the opportunity to wander 

 over the veldt, and so employ my spare time studying animated 

 nature. During my rambles I occasionally met entomologists 

 collecting specimens, and approached them on the possibilities of 

 forming a natural history society, but was unsuccessful, as they 

 had not been associated with one. Though receiving no support 

 I determined to take the matter in hand, and having been a 

 member of this club for some time before going to Johannesburg, 

 the pleasure and knowledge I had derived from the meetings 

 held in this hall prompted me to endeavour to establish a club 

 there. Therefore, the present kindred society in Johannesburg 

 owes its existence indirectly to the Field Naturalists' Club of 

 Victoria. 



Before taking any decisive steps in the matter I consulted an 

 esteemed friend, Mr. A. Duncan, who is an ardent naturalist and 

 the present treasurer of the club, and we decided to convene a 

 preliminary meeting. At this meeting a secretary was elected pro 

 tern., and directed to advertise in the local papers that a meeting 

 would be held on 26th February, 1897, for the purpose of forming 

 a field naturalists' club, and inviting all interested to attend. At 

 this meeting rules and other important matters were considered, 

 and I was elected to the position of president. The club when 

 formed was again well advertised. The weekly excursions, 

 practical and ordinary meetings, were so interesting and instruc- 

 tive that at the half-yearly meeting we numbered 46 elected 

 members, including three honorary — Dr. H. Exton, F.G.S., Dr. 

 J. W. B. Gunning, Curator of the Museum, Pretoria, and Mr. T. 

 Ayres, of Potchefstroom, a distinguished naturalist. 



The majority of the members are entomologists. For this branch 

 of natural history few places can offer greater facilities than 

 Johannesburg. Sans Souci is a favourite collecting ground, and 

 only three miles from the centre of the town. There may be ob- 

 tained there nearly 100 out of the 400 known South African species 

 of butterflies. The commoner species, such as Danais chrysippus, 

 Junonia cehrene, and Terias Zoe, are taken every month in the 

 year. From November to April three of the genus Acrsea, four 

 Precis, Junonia clelia, Myrina Jicedula, and many others are 

 taken. Meneris tulhagliia makes its appearance the last week of 

 February, and is not seen after March. Occasional butterflies are 

 taken during the winter months. From November to February 

 moths are plentiful in numbers but not in variety of species. 



