Cbe Uictorian naturalisi 



Vol. XXXI. —No. 10. FEBRUARY 4, 1915. No. 374. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held in the 

 Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, nth January, 1915. 

 The president. Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., occupied the 

 chair, and about 40 members and visitors were present. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the Christmas-New Year excursion to the 

 National Park, Wilson's Promontory, was made by the leader, 

 Mr. J. A. Kershaw, F.E.S., who stated that a party of twelve 

 left Melbourne on the morning of 26th December, and reached 

 the Park that day. The permanent camp was established near 

 the Tidal River, and from this base excursions were made to 

 the most accessible beauty spots in the vicinity. The outing 

 proved highly interesting and enjoyable to members generally. 

 The report, which was illustrated by lantern slides reproduced 

 from views taken on this and on previous excursions, was 

 productive of some discussion relative to the necessity of 

 inducing the Government to advertise, more extensivel}^ than 

 heretofore, the existence and whereabouts of the National 

 Park, and of affording the general public better facihties than 

 those now existing of reaching the reservation. 



Mr. F. G. A. Barnard supplemented the report with some 

 notes on the botanical features of those portions of the Park 

 visited by members of the party. 



ELECTION OF MEMBERS. 



On a ballot being taken, Mr. E. Allman, 143 Lennox-street, 

 West Richmond, was duly elected as an ordinary member, 

 and Mr. J. W. Hosking, 47 Parade, Norwood, South Australia, 

 as a country member of the Club. 



REMARKS ON EXHIBITS. 



Mr. F. Pitcher, m drawing attention to his exhibit of 

 flowering branchlets of Acacia data, A. linearis, and A. 

 pruinosa, said it is worthy of note and record that a large 

 number of native and exotic trees in the Melbourne Botanic 

 Gardens, as well as in the public and private gardens around 

 Melbourne, are displaying unusually large masses of bloom this 

 season. These are of a good and specially brilliant character 

 in many instances. One is inclined to attribute the cause to 

 the facts of the last winter and early spring being abnormally 

 dry. It is considered that the usual activity of the plants in 



