70 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



PAPERS. 



1. By Messrs. H. T. Tisdall and C. C. Wallis, entitled " A 

 Botanical Trip to Emerald." 



The authors gave a very interesting account of a short visit 

 to this district in May last, and mentioned a large number of 

 botanical specimens noticed during their stay, few of which were, 

 however, in bloom. Among the specimens obtained was a rare 

 fungus, Crateretlus multiplex, which Mr. Tisdall stated he had 

 not seen for some twenty years. The Native Mulberry, Hedycarya 

 cunninghami, was found growing very luxuriantly, the wood of 

 which, it was stated, used to be greatly prized by the aborigines 

 for producing fire by friction. 



The President congratulated the authors on their interesting 

 paper, and drew attention to the fact that this locality had been 

 included in the new list of excursions for this year. 



2. By Mr. R. Hall, entitled " A New Species of Pseudo- 

 gerygone." 



The author described a Fly-eater from North-^Vest Australia, 

 which he considered differed sufficiently from other members of 

 the genus as to be regarded as a new species, and on account of 

 its general dusky appearance proposed for it the name of P. 

 tenebrosa, Dusky Fly-eater. 



3. By Mr. R. Hall, entitled " New Nests and Eggs." 



The author described the nests of the Yellow-tinted Honey- 

 eater and the Rufous Bush-Lark, together with the eggs of the 

 latter, all received from North-West Australia. 



In a short discussion which followed, Mr. G. A; Keartland 

 stated that he could not detect any difference in the eggs of M. 

 woodwardi from that of the common species, but that without 

 seeing specimens of the bird an opinion could not be expressed 

 as to the validity of the species, about which there seemed to be 

 considerable doubt in the minds of several ornithologists. 



Messrs. Le Souef, Barnard, and the President also took part 

 in the discussion. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. H. T. Tisdall read an extract from a local newspaper 

 reporting the poisoning of cattle at Pascoe Vale owing to their 

 eating an introduced plant known as the " Cape Tulip." Mr. 

 Tisdall stated that his attention had been called some two or 

 three years ago to a poisonous plant bearing a small yellow 

 flower growing near Broadmeadows, which he found was Bomeria 

 collina, one of the family Irideai, and which affected cattle very 

 badly after eating it, and the plant recently reported was the 

 same. 



Some discussion ensued, in which Messrs. Barnard, Keartland, 

 and others took part. 



