THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 47 



Tate sent a more limited collection of similar forms to Vienna, 

 and these were dealt with by Bittner, who differentiated the series 

 by making several new species. It was, however, impossible to 

 follow the latter author in his specific determinations, and the 

 specimens in the National Museum are now referred to the two 

 species originally described by Laube, with a possible varietal 

 form of Bittner's. 



2, By Mr. E. E. Green, F.E.S., Government Entomologist, 

 Ceylon (communicated by Mr. C. French, F.L.S.), entitled 

 "Descriptions of Some New Victorian Coccidae. " 



The author described five species of Coccidse which had been 

 collected on various native shrubs by Mr. C. French, F.L.S., in 

 different parts of Victoria ; and also gave a catalogue of thirty 

 described Australasian species of the genus Eriococcus, showing 

 their characteristic features. 



The paper, being of a technical nature, was taken as read. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mice. — Mr. A. E. Kitson mentioned a case in which a number 

 of mice had invaded a beehive, and, having killed the bees, had 

 comfortably established themselves within. 



Dogs. — Mr. A. Mattingley read an extract from a country 

 paper relating the case of a Newfoundland dog which had 

 deliberately taken a terrier dog, which had annoyed it, into a dam, 

 and held it under water until it was drowned. 



Fibre Balls. — Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., drew attention to 

 his exhibit of some fibrous balls picked up on a South Australian 

 beach, and asked if any member could offer any explanation of 

 their origin ? 



Mr. F. Chapman, A.L.S., had submitted a portion of one to a 

 hurried microscopical examination and found that it consisted 

 chiefly of bast fibres and pieces of decayed leaves. 



Mr. C. Coles stated that he had picked up similar balls on the 

 beach at Carrum some years ago, and found them to consist of the 

 same material throughout. 



Cuckoo. — Mr. S. P. Townsend stated that twice during July, 

 on the 2nd and 5th, he had observed a Fan-tailed Cuckoo, Caco- 

 mantis Jiahelliformis, in the Mornington Park. It was a silent 

 bird, and might possibly be one that had remained in the district 

 all the year, as it was yet early for visiting Cuckoos to arrive. 



Giant Petrel. — Mr. S. P. Townsend also reported the 

 capture, at Mornington, by a fisherman, of a Giant Petrel, 

 Osdfraga gigantea,W\\.\\ a broken wing about a month previously. 

 The bird had now become quite tame, and ate meat and fish 

 greedily ; this being the first Giant Petrel he had seen inside 

 Port Phillip Heads, though he had occasionally observed them 

 just outside. 



