lo8 Notes. [vj; 



ict. Nat. 

 XXXIV. 



Exhibition of Wild-Flowers. — It has not been possible to 

 complete the report of the recent wild-flower exhibition in time 

 for this Naturalist. 



Honour Roll. — It is our sad duty to record the death of 

 another of those sons of members whose names were included in 

 the list published in the April Naturalist. On 27th September 

 Sergt. Thomas M. Hall, eldest son of the late Dr. T. S. Hall, was 

 killed in action in Flanders. He was an engineering student at 

 the Melbourne University at the time of enlistment. 



The late Mr. E. A. Petherick, C.M.G. — Mr. Petherick, 

 who had been a member of the Club lor some years, but had 

 attended few meetings, owing to failing health, passed away 

 on the 17th September, at the age of 70. In August, 1912, he 

 interested a Club party in an examination of .some of the 

 volumes of early voyages to Australia, containing the founda- 

 tions of the natural history of this continent. His knowledge 

 of books, documents, maps, &c., relating to Australia was un- 

 rivalled, and some j^ears ago he presented his collection to the 

 Commonwealth. 



The " Austral Avian Record." — No. 4 of vol. iii. (21st July, 

 1917) is to hand. Mr. Gregory M. Mathews publishes additional 

 new sub-species of Australian birds, together with a number of 

 corrections, additions, and deletions of his original list, of which 

 little can now be left. The final correction is Kcartlandia fiavi- 

 ventris in place of Acanthiza flaviventris, Ashby. Why our old 

 friend Mr. G. A. Keartland is not treated to a trinomial like 

 his contemporary ornithologists is a puzzle. An interesting 

 account is given, with a portrait, of Silvester Diggles, the well- 

 known Queensland ornithologist, whose great work, "The Orni- 

 thology of Australia," is a fine monument to an ardent observer. 



Gossamer Spiders. — While driving from Murtoa to Kewell 

 one afternoon late in the autumn I beheld a sight which, to me 

 at any rate, was unique, though my life has l)een a fairly long 

 one. Everywhere spiders' webs were glistening in the sunlight, 

 and the ground had the appearance of the sun shining on water. 

 As I passed along the road I could see the webs covering the 

 paddocks for half a mile on either side, and reflecting the sun's 

 rays. Years ago, when ploughing, I frequently noticed that the 

 last furrows turned over would soon be spanned across by 

 spiders' webs, but I could not detect any spiders, although care- 

 fully searched for at the time. Now, to supply such an amount 

 of web as seen by me on that afternoon there must be countless 

 numbers of spiders. I will be glad if any reader can explain the 

 phenomenon. — James Hill. Westell Farm, Kewell. 



