61 



ROYAL _SOCIETY. 



JULY, 1865. 



The monthly evening meeting of the Fellows was held on Tuesday, the 1 1th 

 July, the Hon. E. Officer, Esq., V.P., in the chair. 



The following gentlemen (who had been previously nominated by the 

 Council) were, after a ballot, declared to be duly elected as Fellows of the 

 Society :— Messrs. R. S. Bright, M.Il,C.S.L. : J. Doughty, M.R.C.S.L. 

 H. J. Buckland ; and C. G. Greig. 



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



1. Visitors to the Museum during June, 424. 



2. Ditto Gardens ditto, 1,023. 



3. Plants received from Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, 118. 



4. Plants sent to Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, 163, and 27 papers of seeds. 



5. Plants sent to Messrs. Handaside & McMillan, Melbourne, 54. 



6. Books and Periodicals received. 

 Meteorological Returns. 



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

 (a) Table for June. 



{b) Summary of observations for ditto. 



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

 (a) Table for May, 



(6) Reading of Government schooners barometer for ditto. 



3. Swansea, from Dr. Story. 

 («) Table for April. 



(6) Ditto for May. 



4. Tamar Heads, from E. Henry, Esq. 

 (ft) Table tor May. 



(6) Ditto for June. 



5. Eoss, from M. Duncanson, Esq; 

 {a) Table for June. 



The presentations to the Museum were as follows : — 



1. A collection of Australian reptiles, &c., from the Australian Museum, 

 Sydney. Presented by G. Ki'efft, Esq. 



2. Australian Egret (Herodias syrmatophorus. ) From Dr. Officer. 



3. Bittern (Botaurus Australis.) From G. C. Smith, Esq., Ouse. 



4. Nightjar ( Podargus Cuvieri.) 



5. Brown Hawk (leracidea herigora), and Black-cheeked Falcon (Falco 

 melanorjenys). From M. Allport, Esq. 



6. Specimens of Sphoeria Gunnii from Longford, From Col. Chesney. 



7. Lamprey caught at Risdon. From A. B. Jones, Esq. 



8. Mandibles of the Moa (Dinornis sp.J from New Zealand. Presented 

 by H. M. Hull, Esq. 



9. Indigenous Flax grown on the Glebe at Sorell, prepared and presented 

 by Master Frank Norman. 



10. Fibre of New Zealand Flax (PJiormium tenax) grown in Tasmania, 

 dressed and prepared by Mrs. Goughof Glenorchy. Fcom A. Nicholas, 

 Esq. 



In a letter accompanying this presentation Mr. Nicholas remarks that the 

 sample of flax is a "very fair one, and worth in the English market fidly 

 £50 per ton, and that by Mrs. Gough's process an industrious person could 

 clean 5 cwt. per diem." He also believes from his own observation that the 

 plant if cultivated in proper localities (exposed to sea air) will thrive even 

 better here than in New Zealand, and would be a very valuable addition to 

 the products of the colony. 



A letter from Mi-. Kreff t was read specifying the names of the collection of 

 fish and reptiles received from the Sydney iSIuseum. 



The Secketaky read a lettor from Colonel Chesney, enclosing the follow- 

 ing extract from a home paper in reference to a newly discovered grass which 

 is said to afford a very profitable crop. Colonel Chesney states that "a 



n 



