THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 55 



PAPERS. 



1. In the absence of Mr. J. G. Luehmann, F.L.S., his paper on 

 " Some New Australian Plants " was postponed. 



2. By Mr. T. S. Hall, MA., entitled "A New Burrowing Fish." 

 The author gave an interesting description of the curious habit 



of a small freshwater fish from Tasmania, belonging to the genus 

 Galaxias, which was found lying in damp earth, several inches 

 below the surface. This peculiar burrowing habit among fishes 

 had not been recorded before, either from Victoria or Tasmania. 

 A fish belonging to the same family (Galaxidge) but to the genus 

 Neochanna, had however been met with in New Zealand by gold- 

 diggers in almost dry diggings, and when placed in water had swum 

 about, on some occasions living for several days. Unfortunately 

 only a single specimen, in poor condition, of the Tasmanian form 

 had been received. Some discussion followed, in which Messrs. 

 LeSouef, Keartland, Barnard, Coghill, Kershaw, J. Stickland, and 

 Sayce took part. 



An apology was received from Mr. H. T. Tisdall, stating his 

 inability to be present to read the joint paper by himself and Mr, 

 C. C. Wallis, entitled " A Botanical Trip to Emerald." 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



The president, Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., mentioned the discovery 

 of the fossil remains of a new mammal at Table Cape, Tasmania, 

 and which had been recently described by Professor Spencer, 

 F.R.S. 



Mr. F. G. A. Barnard drew attention to a statement in an article 

 on " Canadian Life " in a recent issue of the Leisure Hour, in which 

 it was stated that the principal fur used in Manitoba was that 

 of the Australian Wombat, and tliought the statement rather re- 

 markable. In a short discussion which followed Mr. A. Mattingley 

 stated that the skins of the Koala or Native Bear were exported 

 from Victoria as " Wombats';" and Mr. D. Le Souef, C.M.Z.S., 

 stated, as a somewhat singular fact, that hundreds of Native Bears 

 had been killed this winter by the severe cold. 



Mr. R. Hall mentioned that a specimen of the Lesser Golden 

 Plover, Charadrius dominicus, Miill., had been shot in the bay 

 last month (June) by Mr. C. Smart. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. C. French, jun. — Life-history of destructive moth, 

 Pinara nana, from Western Port, Victoria. The caterpillar of 

 these moths caused considerable damage to young fruit trees in 

 the Somerville district during October, November, and December 

 of last year. 



By Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A. — A burrowing fish, Galaxias, sp., from 

 Tasmania, in illustration of his paper. 



