Cbe Uictorlan naturalist 



Vol. XXVI.— No. 9. JANUARY 13, 1910. No. 313. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly of the Club was held at the Royal 

 Society's Hall on Monday evening, 13th December, 1909. 



The president, Prof. A. J- Ewart, D.Sc, occupied the chair, 

 and about 50 members and visitors were present 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



From Mr. A. B. Woolf, Ivanhoe, acknowledging contribution 

 to the fund for the purchase of the old red gum tree at Ivanhoe, 

 and thanking the Club for its interest in the movement. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the three days' excursion to Toolangi, from Satur- 

 day, 13th, to Monday, 15th November, was given by the leader, 

 Mr. F. G. A. Barnard, who reported a very interesting outing. 

 Owing to the very dry spring, objects of interest were not as 

 plentiful as had been expected, but members were enabled to 

 make a rough survey of the district, which will be useful for future 

 excursions. Birds were fairly numerous, about thirty-two species 

 having been noted. Among flowering plants, Frostanthera 

 melissijolia, with lilac flowers, in full bloom, was greatly admired. 

 Insects were rather scarce, though several interesting beetles were 

 captured. A fine series of mosses, &c , was secured in the fern 

 gullies. Fine weather prevailed during the outing, and the 

 middle portion of Myers Creek was suggested as a suitable place 

 for a future excursion. 



A report of the excursion to the Botanical Gardens on Saturday, 

 27th November, was forwarded by the leader, Mr. F. Pitcher, 

 who reported a fair attendance of members. A demonstration 

 was given in the Museum of the development of the flowers and 

 fruit of the banana ; then the border of Australian vegetation was 

 visited, and a Western Australian eucalypt, Eucalyptus erythro- 

 nerna, with bright magenta-coloured flowers, flowering for the 

 first time in the Gardens, was much admired. The orchid houses 

 and nurseries were visited, also the nymphea lake and palm 

 ground ; afterwards an inspection was made of the recently 

 formed promontories and marginal beds of the main lake. 



A report of the excursion to Willsmere, Kew, on Saturday, 

 nth December, was given by the leaders, Messrs. VV. and J. 

 Stickland. They reported a fine afternoon and a good attend- 

 ance of members. The water in the lagoons was found to 

 contain large numbers of rotifers, among which the genus 

 Lacinularia was represented by clusters of L. socialis, L. pedun- 

 culata, and L. elliptica. Immense numbers were present of 



