92 Field Naturalists' Club— Proceedings . [voil^^xxxiii. 



in a very small radius at Thomastown. Now the Starling has 

 complete possession of the holes and hollow spouts in the gums, 

 and the Rosella is seldom or never seen. 



Mr. J. Searle said he thought that few of our fish deposited 

 their eggs on the bottom. They float on the surface of the 

 water, and may be taken in large numbers by one using a tow- 

 net. 



The president, Mr. J. Gabriel, Mr. A. D. Hardy, and Dr. 

 C. S. Sutton also contributed to the discussion. 



2. By Mr. Percy Sharman, B.Sc, entitled "The Structure 

 of Some Australian Orchids." 



By means of blackboard sketches, illustrated drawings, and 

 microscopic sections, the author dealt with the internal structure 

 of several common species of that highly interesting genus of 

 orchids popularly known as " Greenhoods." For many years, 

 he said, confusion had existed in the classification of the genus 

 Pterostylis, and in endeavouring to secure a natural classifica- 

 tion it was decided to try if any fundamental differences existed 

 in their internal structure. The examination of microscopic 

 sections of root, stem, leaf, flower, &c., revealed no distinctive 

 differences between members of the genus, but disclosed some 

 interesting features in the structure. The floral parts were 

 next examined. These led to the conclusion that Bentham 

 had grouped together, under one species, several which should 

 be distinct. The relative positions of Pterostylis revoluta, P. 

 reflexa, P. constricta, P. prcBcox, and P. prcBCOx, var. robusta, 

 were shown, and it was pointed out how difficult it was to 

 draw quite hard and fast rules, since evolution is still taking place 

 in the genus. Reference was made to the latest addition to 

 the group, Pterostylis Toveyana. This orchid had been named 

 by Professor Ewart in honour of its discoverer, Mr. J. R. Tovey, 

 of the National Herbarium, who had secured specimens of it 

 every year since 1907. 



Mr. E. E. Pescott, F.L.S., congratulated Mr. Sharman on 

 the very able and interesting way in which he had dealt with 

 the internal structure of the Greenhoods. In the course of his 

 remarks the author had referred to the absence of stomata in 

 the galea. This peculiarity, he believed, was not noted in 

 orchid literature. Professor Ewart, he considered, was justified 

 in separating P. revoluta and P. reflexa. 



Mr. J. Searle said he had been very interested in the author's 

 remarks, and thought that Mr. Sharman's was the first botanical 

 paper in which an author had attempted to illustrate the 

 internal structure of a plant. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — Commonwealth military maps of 

 Sunbury, Melbourne, and Ringwood. 



