319 



tamarinds are, perhaps, 100 years old, and in some cases 

 they grow out of the nests or mounds. These nests, evidently 

 of considerable age, are used year after year by many gene- 

 rations of egg-laying megapodes. Eacli season the bird 

 scratches and tunnels to a depth of from 2 to 5 feet into 

 the old nest, at an angle of about 45 degrees, and lays 5 

 or 6 eggs, each one being placed 2 or 3 feet from its neigh- 

 bour. There are reasons for thinking that these tunnela 

 are used year after year, but this has yet to be proved. In 

 nest No. 2, the dimensions of which are given below, the 

 tunnel had been filled in with green leaves ; a trail 60 feet 

 long led up to where the newly-laid eggs had been placed. 



Measurements of four Mound Nests : — 



From these measurements it appears that a close similarity 

 exists in the size and shape of the nests. No 1, the largest 

 mound, is probably the oldest. 



Ordinary Meeting, July 2, 1907. 



The President (J. C. Verco, M.D., F.R.C.S.) in the 

 chair. 



Ballot.— John McConnell Black and R, H. Pulleine, 

 M.B., CM., were elected as Fellows. 



New Premises. — The President congratulated the 

 Society upon meeting in its new room, and expressed a hope 

 that the Government would erect some shelving for the 

 library. 



Obituary. — The President referred to the death of Mr. 

 John Dennant, F.G.S., one of the Honorary Fellows, who had 

 been connected with the Society since 1888, and had contri- 

 buted to its Transactions several geological papers, and a 

 series of papers on corals, which his death leaves incomplete. 



Exhibits.— Mr. Zietz, F.L.S., C.A.Z.S., exhibited 

 birds' skins from various parts of Australia, including thick- 

 heads, finches, honey-eaters, and wrens. 



Mr. J. G. O. Tepper, F.L.S., (1) a stone-making fungus, 

 Laccocojihalurp,, McAlp. et Tepp. : (2) galls on apple-tree 

 roots, showing mode of propagation of woolly aphis : (3) some 

 rare specimens of Bupresfidcp and Cetonidce: (4) first speci- 

 men of fruit-fiy (Tephritis musce) found in South A us- 



