THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 151 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. A. J, Campbell drew attention to his exhibit of the Grey- 

 rumped Sandpiper and the Tawny Grass-bird now recorded from 

 North-West Australia for the first time. 



He also drew attention to a pair of Garganey, or Blue-winged 

 Teal, of Great Britain, which had hitherto not been noted nearer 

 Australia than the Malayan Islands. The birds exhibited had 

 been lent to him by Mr. Wm. Shaw, of the Geelong Field 

 Naturalists' Club, and were shot out of a flock of Australian Teal, 

 at Lake Connewarre, Victoria, in March or April, 1896. The 

 shooter was of opinion that there were more of the strange species 

 among the birds that got away. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. A. J. Campbell. — Three new Australian birds, in 

 illustration of his paper ; Grey-rumped Sandpiper, Hecteractitis 

 brevipes, Viel, and Tawny Grass-bird, Megcdurus galactoies, 

 Temm., new for North-West Australia; and pair of Garganey, 

 Querquedula circia, of Great Britain, shot near Geelong, new for 

 Australia. By Mr. A. Coles. — 2 cases Fungi, gathered round 

 Melbourne, 1860-70. By Mr. C. French, jun. — Devil Lizard, 

 Moloch horridus, from Coolgardie, Western Australia ; and for Mr. 

 C. Walter, 100 specimens of Victorian Alpine Plants, collected by 

 him in January, 1899. By Mr. R. Hall. — Eggs of Scrub Robin, 

 Drymoedus hrunneopygius, and birds in illustration of his paper. 

 By Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A. — Plesiasiraea urvillei, a coral, dredged 

 off Beaumaris (F. N. C. Excursion) ; Balanus, sp., a fossil 

 Barnacle, from Beaumaris, found by Mr. Gumming, with original 

 colour still showing. By Mr. D. Le Souef. — Eggs of Red- 

 collared Lorikeet, Trichoglossus rubritorquis, recently received 

 from North-West Australia, and not previously exhibited ; colour 

 white (much stained in specimens); measurements — A, i.i x .44; 

 B, 1.4 x .41. By Mr. G. E. Shepherd. — Green-Leek Parrakeet, 

 Polytelis barrabandi, shot at Somerville. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting termintated. 



EXCURSION TO THE PLENTY RIVER. 

 The rain which fell in the early morning of Saturday, 17th 

 December, no doubt deterred several of our members from join- 

 ing in this excursion ; hence the attendance was small ; but those 

 who did put in an appearance were rewarded by as lovely a day 

 as could be desired. To those who have not been on any of the 

 previous excursions to the Plenty it may be as well to mention 

 that the route is by train to Regent-street, Preston, and proceeding 

 thence easterly for about half a mile you strike the main Yan 

 Yean road, along which a walk of about four miles brings you to 

 a brick school-house, which, since our last visit of two years ago, 



