THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



had just reached New Zealand on its return journey. The 

 presence of these leaves showed the former existence of a highly 

 organized flora, and two conclusions were deducible. The 

 climate must have been much warmer than at present, for 

 Borchgrevinck's only terrestrial plant was a lichen, and this 

 came from much further north, namely, at Cape Adare. The 

 other conclusion was that there must have been land connection 

 with some continent to the north, or, at any rate, a very close 

 approach, to enable the plants to pass south to where the leaves 

 were found. The desirability was pointed out of comparing the 

 leaves with those of southern plants raiher than with those of the 

 north. The latter plan had been followed in the past in the case 

 of Australian fossil leaves, with disastrous results, and the error 

 should not be repeated. The discovery of the leaves had been 

 alluded to in the press as perhaps the most important one made 

 by the expedition, and the reason of its value is evident. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. E. Barker, F.R.M.S.— Specimens of the Giant Silk 

 Moths, Attacus atlas, showing male, female, cocoons, and eggs. 

 The cocoons were received from Ceylon, the male hatching out 

 on 2nd February, 1904, and the female on 7th February, go eggs 

 being laid on the same day. The larva feeds on the leaves of 

 the cardamom, tea, cinchona, cinnamon, castor oil tree, &c. The 

 female measures 83^ inches across the wings. 



By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — Maps in illustration of his paper. 



By Mr. C. L. Barrett. — A specimen of the scarce Mistletoe 

 Blue Butterfly, Ogyris abrota, female, captured at Brighton recently. 



By Miss S. W. L. Cochrane. — An orchid, Cryptostylis 

 leptochila. 



By Mr. P. C. Cole.— A very old Victorian •' return " 

 Boomerang. 



By Mr. A. Coles. — Skins of African Weaver-birds : Vidua 

 princijyalis, Barbaton sacabida, Chera procne, and Sleganura 

 paradisea. 



By Mr. C. Coles. — Fifteen young Tiger Snakes, Notichis 

 scutatus, taken from mother after capture. 



By Mr. C. French, F.E.S. — New Australian Buprestid beetles : 

 seven species of Chalcophora, and one species of Paracupta (this 

 genus new for Australia). 



By Mr. C. French, jun. — Rare Victorian orchid, Gnjptostylis 

 leptochila, from Gembrook, collected March, 1904. 



By Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A. — Alive specimen (male) of the Black- 

 tailed Parrakeet, Polytelis melanura, Vig. 



By Mr. A. U. Hardy. — Reptiles and insects from South Africa. 



By Mr. Jas. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., for National Museum. — 

 Young and eggs of Brown Snake, Diemenia textilis, from Bright, 



