tbe Uictorian naturalist 



Vol. XXVII.— No. 3. JULY 7, 1910. No. 319. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The thirtieth annual meeting was held at the Royal Society's 

 Hall on Monday evening, 13th June, 1910. 



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

 and about 60 members and visitors were present. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the excursion to West Essendon on Saturday, 14th 

 May, was given by the leader, Mr. R. W. Armitage, who reported 

 a good attendance of members and a very interesting afternoon. 

 The party visited the Saltwater River at the Horseshoe Bend, and 

 discussed the geology and physiography of the district. The 

 immense depth of bedded sands of various colours, which are 

 being utilized for building construction, &c., was quite a revela- 

 tion to the members. 



A report of the excursion to Royal Park on Saturday, 28th 

 May, in the absence of the leader, Mr. G. B. Pritchard, F.G.S., 

 was giveri by the hon. secretary, who reported a good attendance 

 of members. He said that Mr. Pritchard had carefully pointed 

 out and explained the different formations — Tertiary, Basaltic, and 

 Silurian — met with in the railway cutting near Flemington Bridge, 

 in which is exhibited, in a few hundred yards, perhaps the most 

 interesting series of beds to be found near Melbourne. Casts of 

 several species of fossils were collected by the members. 



A report of the excursion to Toorak and Richmond Park on 

 Saturday, nth June, was given by the leader, Mr. J. S. Kitson, 

 who reported a fair attendance of members. The features of the 

 Gardiner's Creek valley had been pointed out, and the reasons 

 for the " death " of the stream explained. The splendid Silurian 

 sections near Heyington station were next examined and 

 explained. The river was then crossed at the railway bridge, 

 and the depressions along the river bank in Richmond Park were 

 discussed. Crossing the river again at Swan-street, the old basalt 

 quarry in Morang-road, Hawthorn, was visited, and reasons given 

 for the occurrence of basalt on that side of the Yarra. 



A report of the junior excursion to Studley Park on Saturday, 

 4th June, was forwarded by the leader, Mr. W. H. Wilson, who 

 stated that the outing had been somewhat spoiled by unfavour- 

 able weather. The party met at Victoria-street Bridge, and 

 first visited the road-cutting, when its principal features were 

 explained. The flood plains along the Yarra, and the basalt out- 

 crop at Burnley-street then received attention, after which the 

 gravel pits and the reservoir in the park were visited, and the 

 relationship of the geology of the former pointed out. A return 

 was made through another road-cutting to Johnston-street Bridge. 

 Altogether a very interesting afternoon was spent. 



