fathoms. He notes that in addition to these there were several 

 known Tasmanian shells which have not previously been re- 

 corded south of Bass Strait, and remarks on the additional 

 evidence obtained of the wide distribution of species on the Aus- 

 tralian continental shelf, several species being taken which have 

 recently been described from deep-water dredgings ofif both 

 Sydney and Adelaide. 



2. The Distribution of Australian Land Birds. Bv Robert 

 Hall. 



The paper represents the views of the author as to the origin, 

 migration, and distribution of the birds of Australia and Tas- 

 mania. He is of opinion that almost the whole of the present 

 bird fauna had their source of expansion from the Papuan sub- 

 region. The paper is illustrated by a small map and diagrams. 



SEPTEMBER 19, 1910. 



A Special Meeting and the Ordinary ^Monthly ^Meeting of 

 the Society were held at the Museum on the evening of Sep- 

 tember 19, 1910, having been postponed from the 12th instant 

 out of respect for the memory of the late }^Ir. Bernard Shaw, 

 Chairman of the Council. 



SPECIAL MEETING. 



The Special Meeting of the Council had been convened by 

 the Council at the request of Mr. E. L. Piesse for the con- 

 sideration of certain proposed alterations' in the Rules. 



Mr. T. Stephens, ]\I.A., F.G., a Vice-President, in the chair. 



Mr. E. L. Piesse moved that the following be inserted after 

 Rule 42: — I. "42a. At any General Meeting the Royal Society 

 may authorise, on such conditions as may be arranged by the 

 Royal Society or the Council, the affiliation with the Royal 

 Society of any Society whose objects include any of the objects 

 of the Royal Society." '* 42b. Any Society affiliated with the 

 Royal Society may be allowed to hold its meetings in any room 

 occupied by the Royal Society, on such terms and conditions 

 as may be arranged by the Council." 2. That the following- 

 words be added as a sub-paragraph at the end of paragraph 44: 

 — '* Any other business that may arise."' 



In movmg the amendment to Rule 42, I\Ir. Piesse said that 

 the Rules of the Society provided for the formation of Sec- 

 tions, but there was no provision for connecting with them 

 any body of persons interested in science who did not belong 

 to the Society. It seemed to him that they should have a more 

 elastic provision, so that they could associate other societies 

 with them in their work. In large centres it was possible that 

 kindred societies might work independently, but that was not 

 possible in Hobart. They should be able to associate more 

 closely with other societies. The occasion for making the pro- 

 posal was known to all, as for some time the Field Naturalists' 

 Club had been allowed to use the rooms of the Society, and 

 under this arrangement much good had been done. The 

 Council, however, recently discovered that they were infringing 

 the Act by granting the privilege, and therefore it had been 



