Cbe Uictoriati naturalist 



Vol. XXVII.— No. 4. AUGUST 4, 1910. No. 320. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held at the Royal 

 Society's Hall on Monday evening, the nth July, 1910, 



The president, Mr. F. Wisewould, occupied the chair, and 

 about 150 members and visitors were present. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



A letter was read from the Secretary for External Affairs, in reply 

 to the Club's request that the Commonwealth Government should 

 take steps to support the movement initiated in England to better 

 protect gay-plumaged birds, drawing attention to an enclosed 

 copy of proclamation published in the Commonwealth Gazette 

 of 31st October, 1908, prohibiting the importation into the 

 Commonwealth of the plumage, &c., of birds which are protected 

 in the country of their origin. 



The President remarked that that was all very well so far as 

 importation was concerned, but that a further step was required, 

 by which exportation from the Australian Commonwealth of 

 Australian bird skins would be made illegal and severely 

 punishable, 



Mr. E. B. Nicholls drew attention to the revenue received by 

 the Papuan Government for bird collectors' licences, ;£i^ having 

 been paid in fees, observing that to his mind this was a strange 

 way of discouraging collectors. It was left in the hands of the 

 committee to take what further action it deemed desirable. 



From the Australasian Association for the Advancement of 

 Science, calling attention to the next meeting to be held at 

 Sydney, from 9th to 14th January, 191 1. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the junior excursion to the National Museum on 

 Saturday, 2nd July, under the leadership of Mr. J. A. Kershaw, 

 F.E.S., Curator of Zoology, stated that there had been an attend- 

 ance of about thirty juniors, who evinced great interest in the 

 subject of the afternoon — butterflies — and by their questions and 

 remarks indicated that their interest was no passing fancy. 



The hon. librarian reported the receipt of the following donations 

 to the library:— "Botany of To-day," by G. F. Spott Elliot 

 (purchased) ; " Bulletin of the Geological Survey of Victoria, No. 

 23 — Biographical Sketch of the Founders of the Geological 

 Survey oi Victoria," by E. J. Dunn, F.G.S., and Bibliography, by 

 D. J. Mahony, M.Sc, F.G.S., and " Memoirs of the Geological 

 Survey of Victoria, No. 9 — The Geology of the Camperdown and 

 Mount Elephant Districts," by H. J. Grayson and D. J. Mahony, 

 M.Sc, F.G.S., from, the Mines Department, Melbourne ; Journal 



