May, 1908.] THE VICTORIAN NATUKALIST. 3 



the nth inst., a flock of eight or nine parrots was seen high up in 

 a tree. Being unable to determine the species, one was shot, 

 when it proved to be Barnard's Parrakeet, Barnardius barnardi 

 Vig. and Horsf., which had probably migrated southward owing 

 to the drought in the interior. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. R. W. Armitage. — Examples of modern pottery ware 

 from VVanigela, N.E. coast of Papua ; rare necklace, composed of 

 the chitinous coverings of a species of ant ; and single valves of 

 pearl shells, showing how pearl " blisters " and pearls develop on 

 the inside of the shell, from Trobriand Islands, Papua. 



By Mr. C. French, jun. — New scale insect, Aspidiotus cedri, 

 Green, on cedar logs imported into Victoria from Queensland. 



By Mr. F. Pitcher, for the Director of Melbourne Botanic 

 Gardens, blooms of the following acacias now flowering in the 

 Melbourne Botanic Gardens: — Acacia discolor, VVilld., Sunshine 

 Wattle, Vict., N.S.W., and 1 as. ; A. lini/olia, Willd., Flax-leaved 

 Acacia. Vict., N.S.VV., and Q. ; A. inaidenii, F. v. M., Maiden's 

 Acacia, N.S.VV. ; A. pe^idula, A. Cunn., Weeping Myall or Boree, 

 N.S.W. and Q. ; A. salicina, Lindley, Murray River Willow, 

 Australia. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



EXCURSION TO LAUNCHING PLACE. 



The usual Foundation Day excursion was this year fixed for 

 Launching Place, a well-known spot on the Upper Yarra, just 

 40 miles from town. The prevailing heat and dry weather of the 

 present season made it somewhat uncertain as to how the 

 excursion would be patronized, and when the leader met the train 

 at Hawthorn station on Saturday morning, 25th January, and did 

 not see a single face on the look-out for hmi, he did not feel 

 much encouragement. However, when tr.'iins were changed at 

 Lilydale, he was pleased to find one other member of the Club 

 making the journey, but, unfortunately, not to join the excursion. 

 There were still signs of Bursaria in bloom as we passed through 

 Mooroolbark, Wandin, and Woori Yallock, so hopes were enter- 

 tained that some beetles of the Schizorhina, Stigmodera, and 

 longicorn groups would still be about their favourite flower, if we 

 tried it in the afternoon. The day was dull and overcast, but 

 after lunch cleared up and became decidedly hot. At Launching 

 Place I found a member and his wife who had gone up by the 

 previous night's train, so in the afternoon the male portion of the 

 party decided to work down the Yarra, and try the Bursaria for 

 beetles, and met with a fair amount of success, considering that it 

 was a hot day, and most of the Bursaria was over. The only 

 cetonid seen was the ordinary Schizoi-Jiiiia 2;it?ic^a<<x. Of Stig- 



