90 THE VICTORIAN NATUltALIST. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. A. J. Campbell read a note giving the period of incubation 

 of the Lyre-Bird, Menura victorice, hitherto unrecorded, as fifty 

 days. 



Mr. R. Hall read a note recording Maiden Island, South 

 Pacific Ocean, as a habitat of the Lesser Golden Plover. 



EXHIBITION OF MICROSCOPIC AQUATIC LIFE. 



The evening was principally devoted to an exhibition of 

 microscopic aquatic life, and a fairly comprehensive series of 

 living specimens representative of freshwater forms, from the 

 much-quoted Amoeba to the insects, was shown under some 

 twenty or more microscopes. The committee, consisting of 

 Messrs. Sayce, W. Stickland, and Shephard, had been well 

 supported by the following members of the Club, who lent 

 microscopes and assisted in the collection and display : — 

 Messrs. Boyes, H. H. Baker, Bullen, French, Fielder, FuUard, 

 J. Gabriel, T. S. Hall, Hughes, J. Stickland, and Tisdall. 

 Messrs. Sayce and Shephard gave brief addresses descriptive of 

 the exhibits, the former dealing with the Protozoa and groups 

 to the Coelenterata, and the latter treating of the higher forms. 

 An attempt was made to give representatives of the different 

 classes in ascending order, the first microscopes showing Amoeba, 

 Vorticella, Euglena, and ciliated Infusoria. Then followed 

 Coelenterata, represented by Hydra, living and in sections. The 

 Rotifera came next as doubtful worms, specimens of sedentary, 

 colonial, and solitary free-swimming forms all being shown. 

 Then came a beautiful specimen of Polyzoa ; afterwards the 

 Entomostraca were exemplified by Cyclops and Daphnia ; a 

 peculiarly ferocious-looking beetle larva standing for the great 

 class Insecta. 



At the end of the series were placed forms which have hitherto 

 resisted conclusive classification in either the animal or vegetable 

 kingdoms — Haematococcus in motile and resting forms ; Volvox 

 with daughter and granddaughter cells — members inspecting 

 being able to regard them as zoological or botanical exhibits as 

 prompted by their predilection. 



Considerable pains had been taken to collect the specimens and 

 to arrange them for advantageous exhibition, and with, on the 

 whole, satisfactory results, the members and friends applying 

 themselves to the examination of the exhibits with apparent 

 interest. 



The following gives the Phyla exhibited, with the examples of 

 each class : — 



Phylum Protozoa — Class Rhizopoda ; ord. Lobosa ; gen. 

 Amoeba and Arcella. Class Mastigophera ; ord. Flagellata ; gen. 

 Euglena (motile and resting forms). Class Infusoria ; ord. 

 Ciliata ; gen. Stentor, Carchesium, and Vorticella, 



