Cbe Uktorian naturalist. 



Vol. XXXII.— No. 12. APRIL (5, 1916. No. 388. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held at the 

 Royal Society's Hall on Monday, 13th March, 1916. 



In the absence of the president, M r . A. D. Hardy, F.L.S., 

 one of the vice-presidents, occupied the chair, and about sixty 

 members and visitors were present. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



From Mr. F. Lewis, Acting Chief Inspector for Fisheries and 

 Game, inquiring if the Club advocated the inclusion of Wattle - 

 birds and Leatherheads in the whole year list of protected 

 birds. 



In explanation, the vice-president said the communication 

 from Mr. Lewis was in reply to the hon. secretary's memo- 

 randum of the 3rd inst., wherein the committee advocated the 

 inclusion of Honey-eaters on the list of birds protected for the 

 whole year. The protection at present extended to the Honey- 

 eaters was from the 1st July to 14th February next following". 



Mr. C. Barrett said the matter of the protection of the Honey- 

 eaters for the whole year had been considered and supported 

 by the Bird Observers' Club. 



In moving the resolution that Honey-eaters, including the 

 Wattle-birds and Leatherheads, be included on the list of 

 birds protected for the whole year, Mr. P. R. H. St. John con- 

 sidered that Honey-eaters were as deserving of protection as 

 Wood-Swallows. The resolution was seconded by Mr. J. 

 Gabriel, and carried. 



Mr. F. Beuhne, in response to the chairman's request to 

 express an opinion relative to the usefulness of Honey-caters 

 from a pollination point of view, said that he regretted his 

 inability to enlighten the meeting on the point. In his opinion, 

 Honey-eaters, particularly the White-plumed or " Greenie," 

 were very destru* tiw to bees. If one were to take up a position 

 beneath a flowering eucalypt in which bees and Honey-eaters 

 were foraging he would be astonished to see the number of 

 dead and maimed bees falling from the tree or lying on the 

 ground beneath. He was of opinion that the birds (rushed 

 the bees with their mandibles in their greedy quesl <>l nectar. 



Mr. C. French supported the views expressed by .Mr. Beuhne. 



Kl PORT. 



The president, Dr. C. S. Sutton, gave a report of the ex- 

 cursion to the Zoological Gardens on Saturday, tith March. 



