224 Field NaturaUsts' Club — Proceedings. f^"^AprU^^' 



juice is one of the characteristics of euphorbiaceous plants, 

 and from the note it seemed that an introduced garden weed 

 might be turned to some account. 



Mr. J. Gabriel said that Dr. Home, of Clifton Hill, had 

 noticed recently that the Honey-eaters and a Sordid Wood- 

 Swallow in his aviaries were apparently declining in condition. 

 Investigation as to the cause showed that bees had learned to 

 rob them of the honey supplied to them for food. 



Mr. A. D. Hardy, said that, on the authority of Mr. Beuhne, 

 president of the Victorian Apiarists' Association, the Wood- 

 Swallow was a great bee-killer. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — Specimen of fern, Aspidium 

 aculeahim, obtained as the highest fern on Mt. Disappointment, 

 November, 1909 ; specimen of Gellibrand's Hill granite. Broad- 

 meadows excursion ; and quartzite from ^loonee Ponds Creek 

 above Broadmeadows. 



By Mr. C. J. Gabriel. — Marine shells dredged at Western Port 

 — Cymatiiim spengleri, Chem., and C. spengleri, var. IVater- 

 hotisei, Ad. and Ang. ; also Murex damicornis, Hedley, obtained 

 off Gabo Island. 



By Dr. J. C. Kaufmann. — Under microscope, mite from 

 thorax of house-fly, of a pale yellow tint, very transparent, 

 body and legs covered with stout spines : not described or 

 figured by Morris in his work on the house-fly. 



By Mr. G. A. Keartland. — Mounted specimen of Tabuan 

 Crake, Porzana tabiiensis, found near Wallan, 9th March, 191 1, 

 with clutch of eggs from Northern Territory. 



By Miss Rollo. — Specimens of luminous fungus, Plenrotus 

 candescens, from Broadmeadows excursion. 



By Mr. J. Searle. — Specimens of Estheria elliptica \^) from 

 Broadmeadows excursion, formerly known only from Western 

 Australia. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



Mr. a. O. Sayce, A.L.S., Assistant Lecturer in Bacteriology, 

 Melbourne University, has been appointed Senior Bacteriologist 

 in the recently established Government Bacteriological Institute 

 of Adelaide. While congratulating Mr. Sayce on his advance- 

 ment, we feel that his removal to Adelaide will leave a blank in 

 Melbourne microscopical circles which will be hard to fill. Mr. 

 Sayce is one of the original members of the Field Naturalists' 

 Club, and has filled many offices, including that of president, 

 and has contributed several important papers to its pro- 

 ceedings. 



