%omi c^otietj] of (f asm ant a. 



ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 

 APRIL 10th, 1911. 



The first monthly general meeting, of the Society was held 

 at the Museum on Monday evening, April 10th, 1911. Mr. R. 

 M. Johnston occupied the chair. 



Mr. L. Rodway read a paper on "The Hymenogastracese of 

 Tasmania." It was stated in Cooke's work on Australian fungi 

 that Tasmania was poor in fungi of this kind, but it was realty 

 the richest country in the world in them. He had personally 

 discovered 40 or 50 new species, besides others which were 

 common to other countries as well. A description was then 

 given of the characters of this family of fungi, and the various 

 species which it contained. 



Dr. Fritz Noetling read a paper on "Percussion Marks on 

 Siliceous Rockc;," describing the methods by which stone im- 

 plements were detached from the parent boulders of which 

 they originally formed part, and pointing out how, from the 

 character of the markings upon them, they must be due to 

 human agencies. 



The Chairman said that Dr. Noetling had done masterly 

 work in regard to our native flints, but he did not think that 

 they shoula be prepared to accept all the markings that had 

 been described as due to human agency. Whjle supporting Dr. 

 Noetling in the main, he was not prepared to follow him to the 

 full conclusions he had arrived at. 



Dr. Noetling explained that the appearances he had de- 

 scribed in stone implements could Tje produced in any homoge- 

 neous substances by a smart blow. 



Mr. R. Hall read a paper in regard to the feather tracts 

 of Sphenura, a bird found only in South-West and South-East 

 Australia. Two species wers found in each place, and the 

 position of the birds scientificixlly was somewhat uncertain. It 

 was hoped that a study of the feather tracts would enable 

 their relationships to be better understood. 



Amongst the specimens exhibited was a fine piece of agate 

 from Broadmarsh, and a small fish, which is occasionally found 

 round the Hobart wharves. Locally it is kno\vn as the "blue- 

 eye." It has been identified as Trachynops teniata, hitherto 

 regarded as a N.S.W. species. 



