Che Uktorian naturalist. 



Vol. XXX.— No. 11. MARCH 5, 1914. No. 363. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held in the 

 Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, 9th February, 1914. 

 Dr. C. S. Sutton, one of the vice-presidents, occupied the chair, 

 and about 40 members and visitors were present. 



REPORTS. 



A report of the excursion to Mount Baw Baw, Saturday to 

 Tuesday, 24th to 27th January, was given by the acting leader, 

 Mr. F. G. A. Barnard, who said that, despite the short time 

 available for collecting on the plateau, excellent work had been 

 done, especially in botany and micro-fungi, while all the members 

 of the party enjoyed the outing thoroughly, notwithstanding 

 the somewhat strenuous nature of the exercise involved. The 

 report was kindly illustrated by Mr. J . Searle with a series of 

 lantern views. 



The chairman said the thanks of the Club were due to Mr. 

 Barnard for his interesting report. He referred to a trip to the 

 Baw Baw plateau made by two other members and himself 

 some years ago, and suggested that arrangements should be 

 made for a Club party to spend at least a week there. 



Mr. St. John said that the discovery of Eticalyptus nitetis, and 

 the presence of Eiicalyptiis Delegatensis on Mt. Erica, had to be 

 added to the report. 



Mr. F. Pitcher asked if the party had come across the Native 

 Beech, Fagus Cunninghami, in exposed situations on the 

 plateau. 



In reply Mr. Barnard said a few small bushes had been 

 noticed in exposed places, and larger specimens in the heads of 

 the streams rising on the plateau. 



GENERAL BUSINESS. 



Mr. A. D. Hardy, F.L.S., referred to the publication, in the 

 October part of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London, 

 of the annual address of the president. Professor E. B. Poulton, 

 F.R.S., who took for his subject a remarkable pamphlet, 

 pubhshed in 1849, i^ which the author, G. W. Steeper, had in 

 part anticipated the conclusions of Darwin as regards the theory 

 of variation and the survival of the fittest, and also the present 

 germ theory of disease. The pamphlet had been subjected to 

 searching criticism as to its authenticity, &c., and so far as can 

 be ascertained may up to the present be considered genuine. 



