70 Field Naiuralisis' Cluh — Proceedings. [^,^^[' 



Vic(. Nat. 

 XXXVII. 



NAirK.M. HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. J. Gai)ri(.'l reminded ineiiibcrs of a natural history note 

 he had related some time- aj;o, in which he told of the efforts 

 of a pair of swallows to build on top of a tennis ball placed in 

 their nest. These swallows were now attempting to build in 

 the same place. Though the nest has been pulled down each 

 night during the past fortnight, the birds are now trying to 

 reinforce the mud with hbres. 



Mr. F. Wilson stated that during tlie past winter he had 

 noticed forty or fifty swallows settling for the night on an 

 electric light wire under a verandah, those on the end striving 

 to displace those nearer the middle, evidently to get a warmer 

 position, until they finally settled for the night. Now that 

 the spring had come the birds are pairing off, so tliat at present 

 only a few roost on the wire. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — Flame Pea, Chorizema cordatiiuu 

 grown at " Rockingham," Kew. 



By Mr. Charles Daley, M.A. — Scrul") flora from W'hipstick 

 Scrub, Bendigo, including : — Eriostemon obovalis, K. difformis, 

 Crowea exalata, Boronia anemonifolia, Cryptandra amara, 

 Dodoncca viscosa, Grcvillea rosmarinifolia, Dampicra iiiari folia, 

 Acacia calamifolia, A. glandiilicarpa, Clayttniia pvj^tnca, 

 Marianlhus prociimbens, Hyhanthiis llorihundus. Eucalyptus^ 

 viridis, E. polyhractea, E. incrassata, E. Behriana, (\iss\tha 

 melantha (on Eucalyptus viridis), and Daviesia ^enistifolia, 

 collected during the excursion to Bendigo on Saturday, nth 

 September. 



By Mr. W. H. Ingram. — {a) Water-stone from Beechworth, 

 Victoria (this is a crystalline form of silica, containing licpiid) ; 

 (/;) wings of Argus Plieasant, from Malay States. 



By Mr. Alfred J. Tadgell. — Dwarf Squill, Chama-scilla corym- 

 hosa, in three cohnirs — blue, pale blue, and whitt — from near 

 Cheltenham, Victoria ; the Blue Fairy Orchid, Caladenia 

 defonnis, normal blue, also pink, from near Cheltenham, \'ic- 

 toria. A rarer variety — yellow — was also ff)und in the same, 

 locality, which it is hoped will be exhibited at next meeting. 



By Mr. I.. Thorn. — (a) Mistletoe Blue Butterfly, O^yris nlanc — 

 larvje, pupic, and perfect insects of both sexes. Tlie larv.'c are 

 night feeders, hiding under loose bark during tin; day. Some- 

 times they have to travel a long distance to reach their food- 

 plant. The exhibitor has taken the larva- in various stages 

 near the base of the tree, with the mistletoe (their food-plant) 

 ten to fifteen feet higher up. {!>) Ten species of Victorian moths 

 and twelve species of Victorian butterflies, both sexes of each 

 species, and the pupa cases from which the perfect insects 

 emerged. 



After the usual conversaz.ione the meeting terminated. 



