Cl K U ictorian naturalist 



Vol. XXXV.— No. 3. JULY 4, 1918. No. 415. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The thirty-eighth annual meeting was held at the Royal 

 Society's Hall on Monday evening, ioth June, 1918. 



The president, Mr. F. Pitcher, occupied the chair, and about 

 one hundred members and visitors were present. 



The chairman, in welcoming the members and visitors, said 

 that, in view of it being the annual meeting, and as he was on 

 the eve of retiring from the presidency, he would take the 

 opportunity of saying a few words about the aims and objects 

 of the Club, which, he considered, was accomplishing valuable 

 work in many branches of natural science. The importance of 

 the society might be gathered from the fact that it included 

 within its membership His Excellency the Governor-General, 

 University professors, heads of Government scientific depart- 

 ments, the curators of the National Museum, Botanic Gardens, 

 and Zoological Gardens, as well as heads of educational establish- 

 ments, &c. The value of the monthly meetings, the wild- 

 flower exhibitions, the excursions, and its monthly journal 

 were strongly emphasized as means for nature students to 

 acquire special knowledge of the various branches of natural 

 history, and he therefore appealed to any present of similar 

 tastes to become members of the society. He had the pleasure 

 also of announcing that His Excellency the Governor-General, 

 Sir Ronald Munro Ferguson, G.C.M.G., would be present later 

 in the evening to unveil the Club's honour roll. 



CORRESPOXDEN'CE. 



From Mr. A. J. B. Haldane, secretary of the Medicinal Plants 

 Board of Victoria, asking the Club's assistance in procuring 

 supplies of indigenous plants reputed to be of medicinal value, 

 for investigation. It was proposed to deal first with Clematis 

 microphylla and Daviesia latifolia. 



The hon. secretary stated that the best method of helping in 

 the matter is under consideration by the committee, who would 

 be glad to have offers of assistance from members knowing of 

 considerable quantities of the plants named. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the visit to the National Museum on Saturday, 

 25th May, was given by the leader, Mr. F. Chapman, A.L.S., 

 who said that a good party of members had attended, and a 

 couple of hours or so were spent in examining the palaeontological 

 department, where a number of interesting Australian fossils 



