'^"jY] Field Natitralisis' Chth—Proceediiigs-. 51 



of them from pholo.i^iaplis taken l)y tlie aiilhoi durin.i;' his 

 several visits to the eaves, the latest heiiiij: only a few months 

 ago. These (lei)iete(l the road scenery between Momit Victoria 

 and the caves, scenes in the vicinity of the caves, and most of 

 the principal sights and formations in the interior passages 

 and caverns, with a few in illustration of the formation and 

 composition of limestone. 



In the discussion that followed, Mr. F. G. A. Barnard said tlie 

 views shown had brought back to his mind many incidents 

 attendant on his' visit to the caves nearly thirty years before, 

 and described in the Naturalist at the time. 



Mr. J. A. Kershaw, in complimenting the author on the slides 

 show'n, asked how^ the caves, from a scenic point of view, com- 

 pared with the Buchan Caves in Eastern Victoria. 



Mr. J. Stickland said that when he visited the caves he was 

 struck by a large yellow composite flower that grew in their 

 vicinity. So far he had failed to ascertain its name. He had 

 been informed that the bats that had been in the habit of 

 frequenting the caves shifted their quarters elsewhere on the 

 influx of visitors. 



Mr. J. Gabriel referred to the limestone formations in many 

 of the caves, that appeared to have been formed in opposition 

 to the laws of gravity. He was of opinion that the phenomenon 

 was probably due to a variation in water pressure. 



]\Ir. Harvey, in reply to Mr. Kershaw, said that the Buchan 

 Caves compared favourably with some of the Jenolan. Bats, 

 as a general rule, were always present in tlie caves, and do a 

 large amount of damage to the slender, fragile concretions. 

 He thought Mr. J. Gabriel's theory was probably quite 

 sufflcient to accoimt for the irregular growths to be seen in the 

 caves. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Miss A. Fuller. — Pot specimen of a fern, Adiantum, sp., 

 from South Africa. 



By Mr. F. Pitcher. — Flowering branches of Acacia discolor, 

 Willd., Sunshine Wattle, Vic, Tas., N.S.W., now flowering in 

 Melbourne Botanic Gardens. 



By Mr. P. R. H. St. John. — Herbarium specimens and small 

 plant seedHngs of an undescribed eucalyptus, collected by 

 exhibitor in the Belgrave district, March, 1916. On behalf of 

 the Curator of Melbourne Botanic Gardens. — Sample of " Oil 

 of Savin," Juniperiis sabina, Linn., " Savin," N.O. Conifera? 

 (Pinaceae), Central and Southern Europe ; prepared from cul- 

 tivated plants in Botanic Gardens, i6th June, 1916. 



By Mr. H. Witty. — Hornet, from the trenches at Salonika, 

 sent by Staff-Sergeant W. H. Scott. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



