tM Uictorian naturalist. 



Vol. XXXIII.— No. 1. MAY 4, 1916. No. 389. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held at the 

 Royal Society's Hall on Monday, 17th April, 1916. 



The president, Dr. C. S. Sutton, occupied the chair, and about 

 45 members and visitors were present. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the excursion from Parwan to Coimadai on 

 Saturday, 25th March, was given by the leader, Mr. J. G. 

 O'Donoghue, who said that, owing to the day turning out 

 rather hot, the party was not able to carry out the whole of 

 the proposed trip ; however, the outing proved an interesting 

 one, especially to those members who had not been in the 

 district before. 



A report of the excursion to the Berwick Quarry on Satur- 

 day, 8th April, was given by the leader, Mr. R. A. Keble, who 

 reported an interesting afternoon, the members being fortunate 

 in securing a number of specimens of the fossil leaves for which 

 the quarry is famous, and in obtaining from the top of the 

 hill an extended view of the physiography of the district, 



ELECTION OF MEMBER. 



On a ballot being taken, Mrs. L. Baldwin Spencer, Clyde 

 House, 182 Collins-street, Melbourne, was duly elected as an 

 ordinary member. 



REMARKS ON EXHIBITS. 



Mr. J. Gabriel drew attention to his exhibit of a so-called 

 Solomon Islands " Guada Bean." The average length of 

 these " beans " was about six feet, and they were reputed to 

 be edible. The specimen shown was grown at Richmond, and 

 was about four feet in length. 



Mr. F. Chapman, A.L.S., in referring to his exhibit of fossil 

 leaves from the Berwick quarry, pointed out the interesting fact 

 that the genera shown were nearly all represented in the present- 

 day flora of Victoria. The pipeclay is a peculiarly good preserv- 

 ative of delicate remains like fossil leaves, and all that is 

 necessary to prevent their drying and curling off the rock 

 is a thin coating of hot size applied with a fairly large camel- 

 hair brush. The size is preferable to varnish, since it does 

 not so obliterate the structure of the leaf. 



He mentioned that the geological specimens from Egypt 

 were collected by Private W. D. Chapman, and include some 

 Nummulites from the Mokattam beds. The large form, N. 



