the Uictorian namralisi 



Vol. XXXVI.— No. 10. FEBRUARY 5, 1920. No. 434. 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held at the 

 Royal Society's Hall on Monday evening, I2th January, 1920. 

 The president, Mr. A. D. Hardy, F.L.S., occupied the chair, 

 and about fifty members and visitors were present. 



REPORTS, 



A report of the Christmas excursion (24th-29th December) 

 to Loch Valley was given by the leader, Mr. F. G. A. Barnard, 

 who said that, notwithstanding some wet weather, the party 

 had enjoyed the outing very much. They had got as far as 

 Mount Horsfall, and seen the wonderful trees of the district, 

 which, it is expected, will within twelve months be in the grip 

 of the sawmiller. They had also visited Nayook Glen, a 

 beauty spot worth anyone's while to see. 



Mr J L. Robertson, M.A., said that, as a member of the 

 party, he wished to thank the leader for the troubl'e he had 

 taken in arranging the details of the outing. The fine trees 

 at Mount Horsfall had been a revelation to him. Some rough 

 measurements he had made gave heights of 120 to 180 feet 

 to the first branch. He asked if anyone could give any 

 information as to the effect of electricity on the growth of 

 trees. 



Mr. D. Best said that tho report appeared to him to be an 

 account of a mere pleasure jaunt. Little natural history 

 collecting or observation could be done when distances of ten 

 and twelve miles, as mentioned, were covered in one day. He 

 would like to know if any Bursaria was found in bloom, and 

 whether any beetles were collected. 



Mr. F. Wisewould thought the report a very interesting 

 one, and formed an excellent groundwork for future visits 

 to the district. 



Mr. A. E. Keep, as a member of the party, said that he did 

 not consider natural history had been neglected. His experi- 

 ence was that the leader took every pains to name and explain 

 any object submitted to him. 



Mr. J. H. Harvey considered the report a very informative 

 one, and just what was wanted for a new district. 



The chairman said that he understood the excursion to be 

 a sort of pioneering one, and the authorities at the Tourist 

 Bureau were waiting to hear the experiences of the party. 



Mr. Barnard, in answer to Mr. Best, said that the Bursaria 

 along the Loch Valley was just coming into bloom, but on 



