40 Field Naturalists' Club— Proceedings . [voT'^^xxxiii 



Erica was reached in due course, after a tramp of about fifteen 

 miles, the latter part through half-frozen snow and with packs 

 that turned the scale at 25 lbs. The paper, though a short 

 one, was exceedingly interesting, and drew attention to many 

 of the birds and plants noticed during the walk. 



In the discussion that followed, Messrs. Barnard, Coghill, 

 Hardy, Pescott, and Dr. C. S. Sutton took part. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. p. R. H. St. John stated that he had noticed a splendid 

 specimen of the Black-shouldered Kite. Elanus axillaris. Lath., 

 in the Botanic Gardens on 6th June. It was the first visit of 

 this species to the Gardens since he began to keep a record of 

 the feathered visitants in 1884. 



Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., mentioned that the committee 

 of management of the National Park had secured, by way of 

 exchange, a pair of Woodward's Kangaroos, Macropus wood- 

 wardi, which had been liberated in the Park. These marsupials 

 inhabited North and North-West Australia, and it was to be 

 hoped that they would thrive in their new habitat. 



In a note received after the meeting, Mr. W. J. Stephen 

 mentioned that during nearly the whole of May an interesting 

 sight was furnished at the Titles Office, corner of Queen and 

 Lonsdale streets, Melbourne, by the arrival, at about 5 o'clock 

 every evening, of large flocks of the Welcome Swallow, the 

 individuals of which congregated imder the eaves of the 

 southern and eastern walls till their departure early the following 

 morning. The sheltered electric wires provided a comfortable 

 roosting-place for the birds. A rough count of the swallows 

 present on the i6th May gave the number as between 450 and 

 500. There was no perceptible diminution of the number till 

 the 31st, when perhaps a quarter of the total disappeared. 

 Next evening there were none to be seen. Although there are 

 some swallows with us right through the winter, their food 

 must have been unusually abundant to keep them here in such 

 numbers so late in the cold season. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — Growing specimen of the Slender 

 Tree-fern, Cyaihea Cunninghami, collected near Sealers' Cove 

 track, Wilson's Promontory, December, 1914 ; also plant of 

 Lomaria alpina, Spg., Alpine Lomaria, from Baw Baw plateau. 



By Mr. F. Chapman. — Spray from five-year-old tree of 

 Drooping Sheoke, Casuarina quadrivalvis, Labi., showing male 

 inflorescence ; grown in exhibitor's garden, Balwyn. 



By Mr. C. J. Gabriel. — Nearly al^ the described land shells 

 of Victoria and three species of introduced forms ; also species 

 of the marine genus Xenophora. 



