Cbe Uictoriatt naturalist 



Vol. XXXV.— No. 6. OCTOBER 10, 1918. No. 418. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held at the 

 Royal Society's Hall on 9th September, 1918. 



The president, Mr. A. D. Hardy, F.L.S., occupied the chair, 

 and about 60 members and visitors were present. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



From Mr. A. H. E. Mattingley, stating that pressure of 

 departmental duties made it impracticable for him to leave 

 the State during the near future, and withdrawing his offer 

 to go to Macquarie Island in connection with the oil industry. 

 — Received. 



From the Microscopical Society of Victoria, offering to show 

 micro-exhibits at the wild-flower show on rst October. — 

 Received. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the excursion to Bayswater on Saturday, 24th 

 August, was read by the leader, Mr. J. W. Audas, F.L.S., as 

 follows .— Owing to the rainy conditions prevailing, only four 

 members took part in the excursion to Bayswater. The party 

 included two ladies, who expressed themselves pleased with 

 the outing, notwithstanding the unfavourable weather. On 

 leaving the station we proceeded along the railway reserve, 

 and came across many early spring flowers in bloom, but 

 nothing of any great rarity was noticed. On reaching the 

 Dandenong Creek we diverged a short distance from the railway 

 enclosure in a westerly direction, and obtained a good view of 

 the Silver Wattle, Acacia dealbata, displaying its annual wealth 

 of beautiful bloom along the banks of the stream. Other 

 Acacias, such as A. stricta, A. melanoxylon, and A. myrtifolia, 

 were in full flower — the latter, a pretty little shrubby plant 

 with its glorious yellow blossom and beautiful scent, being 

 worthy of special mention. Everywhere the dwarf shrub, 

 Hovea heterophylla, was met with displaying its bluish flowers, 

 while its relative, the climber Hardenbergia monophylla, with 

 bright purple flowers, was equally conspicuous. About twenty- 

 iive species of plants were seen in flower, of which the more 

 interesting were : — Euphrasia Collina, Pultencea stricta, var. 

 Gunnii, Spyridinm parvifolinm, Acacia tenitifolia, A. jiniiperiua. 

 Stackhousia linarifolia, Leptorrhynchos tenuifolius, Pimelea 

 hmnilis, Dillwynia cinerascens, Hakea acicularis, and the orchid 

 Pterostylis longifolia. We returned from Ringwood, which 



