94 THK VICTORIAN NATUKALIST. [Vol. XXV. 



The microscopists of the Club were not allowed many spare 

 moments by the wondering public, there being a constant demand 

 for a glimpse at the more minute forms of Nature's handiwork. A 

 party of University teachers and students added greatly to this 

 department by an exhibition of the development of chick 

 embryos, section cutting, and camera lucida drawing, &c. 



In addition to the exhibits by members of the Club, interesting 

 displays were made by the Entomological Branch of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture and by the State Forests Department, while 

 Mr. VV. R. Guilfoyle, F.L.S., Director of the Melbourne Botanic 

 Gardens, kindly provided a number of palms, ferns, &c., for 

 platform decoration, in addition to a fine display of cut blooms of 

 Australian shrubs, &c. 



On Tuesday evening a lecturette, entitled " Wild Birds in their 

 Haunts," illustrated by lantern views, was given by Mr. C. L. 

 Barrett, whose remarks on the pictures displayed were most 

 attentively listened to. The lecturer dealt first with the bird-life of 

 the Olinda Creek and the Dandenong Ranges; then with cases of 

 protective resemblance, such as the young of the Dottrel amongst 

 the shingle of the Werribee River; and finally iUustrated some of 

 the difficulties photographers of bird-life have to overcome when in 

 pursuit of their pictures. Many of the illustrations evoked con- 

 siderable applause, and would hold their own with others of a 

 similar character from other countries. 



The lecturette on Wednesday evening was given by Prof. A. J. 

 Ewart, D.Sc, on the subject "Carnivorous Plants." With a fine 

 series of lantern slides the three classes of contrivances by which 

 certain plants secure animal food were briefly demonstrated. The 

 droseras or sundews were taken as representing the first type, 

 those which caught their insect victims by means of sticky 

 exudations ; the second type was illustrated by Venus's Fly-trap, 

 DioncEa imiscipida, the leaves of which are provided with sensitive 

 hairs, and close like a mouse-trap when the hairs are disturbed 

 by an insect ; while the Nepenthes or pitcher-plants represented 

 the third type, where the victims are drowned in special pitcher- 

 shaped leaves. 



The lantern for the lecturettes was again provided and worked 

 by Mr. J. Searle with his accustomed skill. 



EXHIBITS. 



The following is a list of the exhibitors, with particulars of their 



exhibits as furnished by them : — 



Armitage, K. W. ; Kitson, J. S. ; Tutton, A. E. ; and Waters, C, 

 Continuation School, Melbourne — Two live Silver-grey Opossums, 

 Irichosiirtis vulpecula—ox\it in captivity over six months ; alive Rugged 

 Stump-tailed Lizard, Trachysaurus rtigosus ; jars containing Water-weeds 

 — Nitelia, Chara, Lemna, AzoUa, Myriophylluni, Riccia, &c. ; jars con- 

 taining Animal Life — Planorbis, Limn^ea, Taludina, Ancylus with ova, 

 Unio, Astacopsis (young), Hyla aurea (larvee), Cypris, Daphnia, &c. ; 

 also a large variety of lower forms of life demonstrated under microscopes. 



