90 

 EOYAL SOCIETY. 



OCTOBER, 1864. 



The monthly evening meeting of the Society was held at the Museum oa 

 Tuesday, the 11th ( >ctober, A. Kennerley, Esq. , in the chair. 



Among the Fellows present, were Dr. Agnew (Hon. Secretary), Dr. Hall^ 

 Rev. J. Storie, Messrs. F. Abbott, sen., F. Abbott, jun., G. P. Adams, W. 

 Johnston, H. Hinsby, G. Salier, L. Susman, E. Marwedel, &c. 



W. B. Gellibrand, Esq., having been previously nominated by the Council, 

 was, after a ballot, declared to be duly elected a Fellow of the Society. 



The usual monthly returns were laid on the table, viz. : — 



1. Visitors to Museum dm'ing September, 563. 



2. Ditto to Gardens ditto, 1,978. 



3. Tench supplied to C. M. Maxwell, Esq., 12 (to be forwarded to l^ew 

 Zealand). 



4. Plants received from Mr. H. Low, London : total 78 (of which 48 were 

 ■dead on arrival). 



Meteorological Returns, — 



1. Hobart Town, from F. Abbott, Esq. 

 (a) Table for September. 



(6) Summary and Analysis of Observations for ditto. 



2. Port Arthur, from J. Boyd, Esq. 

 (a.) Table for August. 



(6) Readings of Government Schooner's Baremeter for ditto. 



(c) Table for September. 



(d) Readings of Schooner's Barometer for ditto. 



3. Swansea, from Dr. Story, 

 (a) Table for August. 



The usual abstract of the meteorological observations by E. S. Hall, Esq., 

 was read. Amongst other points of interest, it was noticed that the number of 

 deaths during the last month (September) were fewer than had ever taken 

 place in the same month for the last seven years, except 1861, and that the 

 mean of the ozone register was 8.74, being higher than it had ever been since 

 the beginning of these observations in April, 1857. 



The following presentations to the Museum were brought under the notice 

 •of the meeting : — 



1. Sennotype Portraits of Aborigines of Tasmania. From the Hon. the 

 Colonial Secretary, on the part of the Government. 



2. A Pheasant. From J. Maclanachan, Esq., BaUochmyle. 



3. A Human Skull, from Matahana, Xew Zealand. From Mr. Hissey. 



4. Two War Clubs, the Beak of a Saw-fish (Pristis), a Cocoanut-shell Flask 

 or Bottle, three mineral specimens, a Fungus from a Sheoak Tree. From Mrs. 

 Darley. 



5. Album Portraits of Professor Owen, and Sir Chas, Lyell. From Mr, F. 

 Abbott. 



6. Dried Pouch of a "Wallaby. 



7. Packet of dried Plants from Western Australia. From Mr. M. Seal. 



8. Fish found at Sandy Bay. From Mr. Owen Meredith. 



With reference to this presentation. Mr. Morton Allport remarks : — 



" Owing to the absence of any standard modern work on fish, it was impos- 

 sible to give the scientific name of the curious specimen presented by Mr. 

 Meredith, but it is probably allied to the anglers, or frog-fish {Lophius, sp. ?) 



" I have taken several specimens of two distinct species in the shallow tide- 

 pools on Bruni Island, and had, therefore, good opportunities of observing the 

 curious use made of the paw-like ventral fins. The fish inhabits shallow sandy 

 bays, and is constantly exposed to the risk of being left dry by the ebbing tide, 

 and then resorts at once to the use of its ventral fins to overtake the receding 

 water. On wet sand the. fish travels at such a good pace, that it is difficult for 

 a minute or two to lay hold of it — the motion reminding one forcibly of that 

 of a seal in miniature. As even with this aid the fish might be left exposed 

 till the return tide, the operculum, or gill-cover, exhibits an arrangement com- 

 mon to several of the fresh water perch of warm climates, by which the gills 

 are kept moist during their temporary absence from the water. The apparatus 

 by which this is effected consists of a labyrinth of small ceUs, which are sup- 

 plied wth water, and closed by the action of the gill-cover as by a valve, and 

 from this supply a small quantity is from time to time allowed to trickle through 

 the gills." 



A mass of dried and pressed tobacco leaves from the Society's Gardens was 



