XVI. 



ed for Tasmania which had probably never been found in Tas- 

 mania at all, therefore he would describe no specimens that 

 wfere not actually in the collections, and all descriptions given 

 would be original. Mosses constituted a clear-cut division 

 of the vegetable kingdom, and had reproductive means almost 

 entirely their own. Tasmania was exceptionally rich in 

 hepatics, or liverworts ; indeed, he had heard it said that 

 this island was richer in them than any other country. There 

 was no doubt, also, that a large number had still to be de- 

 scribed. The hepatics were much more various in their struc- 

 ture than the true mosses. He proposed to describe the 

 mosses first and the hepatics afterwards. 



Mr. T. Stephens said that the Society and the community 

 in general were much indebted to Mr. Rodway for the labour, 

 in his case a labour of love, he had given to botanical work. 



The Cliairman offered to Mr. W. H. Twelvetrees, Govern- 

 ment Geologist, the congi^tulations of the Society upon his 

 having been awarded the gold medal of the Royal Society of 

 New South Wales for his valuable work on the geology of 

 Tasmania. 



Mr. W. H. Twelvetrees, who was received with applause, 

 thanked the chairman for his kind remarks, and said that he 

 felt that the medal was not intended to be so much a recogni- 

 tion of his merits as an incitement to fresh and more worthy 

 achievements. Tlie work of elucidating the problems of Tas- 

 manian geology had lain close to his heart for many years, and, 

 he supposed would continue to do so to the last. He was sure 

 that other workers in this field, and they were very few, would 

 take this as an inspiration and encouragement, showing them 

 that t[v\7 were not quite alone, and that there were large and 

 important bodies in Australia that were watching their work, 

 and were in a position to recognise merit and effort. (Ap- 

 plause.) 



Amongst the specimens displayed was an unusually large 

 one of the mountain trout (Galaxias truttaceus), which had 

 been caught on the East Coast. 



MAY 13, 1912. 



Tlie usual monthly meeting of the Royal Society was 

 held at the Museum. There was a moderate attendance, 

 and Hon. G. H. Butler presided. 



Messrs. L. J. Hobkirk, S. O. Lovell, and E. A. Woods 

 were elected ordinary members of the Society. 



A number of microscopic slides, illustrating various 

 blanches of biology, were shown by Professor Flynn, and 

 Messrs. L. Rodway and H. M. Nicholls, by means of the lan- 

 tern microscope. 



The secretary (Mr. R. Hall) read a paper by Messrs. W. L. 

 May and W. G. Torr on the Polyplacophora, or chitons. 



