65 



AUGUST, 1876. 



The usual monthly eveniug uieutiiig of the Society was held on Tuesday* 

 8th August ; His Excelleucy the Governor, PrcKident, in the chair. 



The Hon. Skcuetauy (Dr. Agnew) brought luider notice the following 

 returns for the past mouth, \iz. : — 



1. Number of visitors to Museum, 2,368. 



2. Ditto ditto Ga,rdens, 3,701. 



3. Plants and seeds sent from Botanic Gardens : — To the Botanic 



Gardens, Christchurch, New Zealand, 43 plants ; to Mr. G. Brunniug, 

 Jlelbourne, one case of jilants and seeds. 



4. Plants supplied to public places :— To church gi-ouuds, Avoca, 50 



plants ; to Hortou College, Ross, 100 plants ; to Congregational 

 Church, Kichniond, 36 plants. 



5. Time of leafing, flowering, etc., of a few standard plants in Botanic 



Gardens during the month. 



6. Books and periodicals received. 



7. Presentations to Museum. 

 Mtteorolo<jical Returns — 



1. Hobart Town, from F. Abbott, Esq.— Table and abstract for July. 



2. New Norfolk, from W. E. Shoobridge, Esq. — Ditto. 



3. From the Marine Board— Tables from Bruni Island for April, 



May, and June ; Mount Nelson, ditt(i for July. 



4. Port Ai'thvu", from Dr. Coverdale — Ditto. 



5. Sydney, from H. C. Russell, Esq., B.A. — Printed tables for April. 

 The presentations to the Museum were as follows : — 



1 From Miss Gulliver — Two prepared skins of the Pied Egret {Ilerodias 

 picata) ; two ditto of the Green Pygmy Goose {Xettapus pulchellus) ; 

 one of Pink-eyed Duck {Malacorhijnchus membranaceus); one of 

 Little Turtle Dove {Stictopelia cuneata). 



2. From Mr. R. Savage — A Grey Flying Squirrel {Belideus sciurus) 



from River Shannon, Tasmania. 



3. Curious horny growth from the ear of a sheep. 



4. A specimen of the Cinereous Crow-Shrike {Cracticus ciaereus), shot 



in the act of killing a small bird. 



5. From Master E. Hood — A specimen of the (iulf-Weed (Sarr/assum), 



prociu-ed on the voj^age to England. 



The Rev. J. E. Texisox- Woods then read a paper on a new species of 

 AmpuHariaiwith some observations on Swainson's genus Thelldomus, of 

 which a species occurs in Tasmania, the animal being unknown. He also 

 laid on the table descriptions of several new species of Tasmanian 

 Marine Shells, mostly from the collection of Mr. Ronald Gunn, who had 

 kindly presented them to the Society, and most liberally placed all his 

 collection at his (Mr. Wood's) disposal for description. Some species had 

 been furnished by Mr. Augustus Simson from George's Bay. Mr. W. 

 F. Petterd had also shown a con.siderable number of decidedly new species, 

 the result of his own careful collection during many years. Mr. Woods 

 could not, however, undertake to describe these unless type specimens were 

 placed in the Museum for future reference, as it was not fair to science 

 to describe species without giving future naturalists an opportunity of 

 verifying, correcting, or extending the observations. 



The reverend gentleman then made some remarks with reference to the 

 vixa voce introduction which he gave to Mr. R. M. Johnston's paper at the 

 previous meeting, and subsequently, at the request of the Society, on the 

 motion of His Lordship the Bi-shoj) of Tasmania, promised to commit them 

 to writing for the purpose of publication in the 'rrausactions. 



Diacussion followed. 



The BisHor asked whether the Gault formation was found in Australia, 



F 



