Mr. Oldham said it was not State- 

 schools only, but private schools, that 

 wanted looking after. 



The Chairman said he coxild not ade- 

 quately express the very high apprecia- 

 tion which Dr. Elkington deserved for 

 his efforts in popularising a really sound 

 system of school hygiene. Nowhere had 

 he seen the work done so systematically 

 and so thoroughly ais here. 



I\otes on King Island. 



A paper, entitled "Notes on King 

 Island, and Eecent Discoveries, " pre- 

 pared by Messrs. R. M. Johnston, I.S.O., 

 and Alex. Morton, was read, from which 

 it appeared that within the last few 

 months several interesting specimens ^f 

 animal bones had been discovered at 

 King Island by Mr. J. McKie Bowling 

 in a sand dune at Surprise Bay. Mr. 

 H. H. Scott, curator of the Victoria 

 Museum, Launceston, considered they 

 were the bones of an extinct emu, 

 and other remains. Arrangements were 

 accordingly made, with the approval of 

 Mr. A. U. Webster, chairman ot trustees 

 of the Museum, for a visit to the spot by 

 Mr. Alex. Morton, accompanied by Mr. 

 E. M. Johnston, to whom the neceseary 

 leave of absence was granted by the Pre- 

 mier. Messrs. MortO'U and .Johnston 

 obtained a number of bcaies, of which 

 they found an immense C|uantity 

 huddled together, representing a great 

 range of species, in the sand dunes. 

 Among the animals represented were 

 wallaby, wombat, emu, marsupial rats, 

 a number of skulls of a carnivorous mar- 

 supial closely allied to the Tasmanian 

 devil, and the fossilised metatarsus of 

 the emu. It was highly desirable ttat 

 those dimes should be still further ex- 

 amined, so that not only the Tasmanian 

 Museum, but other Museums thioughout 

 the world should contain specimens of 

 this extinct species. The birds were 



very similar to those found in Tasmania, 

 while one ot two Victorian species seamed 

 to have established themselves, ,='uch a*- 

 the Gang-gang Parrot. Particular 'y 

 noticeable was the number of black mag- 

 pies, or jays (Strepera fulignosa). Among' 

 others were musk duck (Biziara lobata;, 

 the blue heron (Herodias pacifica), the 

 black duck (Anas superciliosa), Jameson's 

 gnll (Larus Jamesonii), Pacific gu!J 

 (Larus pacificas), the scoty oyster-catcher 

 (Himanthropus fuligino-us), and many 

 others, which gorged themselves on the 

 vermin cast up in the kelp which strewed 

 the shore. Three snakes similar to 

 those found in Tasmania were common— 

 the tiger, the diamond, and the whip 

 snake. Two or three species of lizatds 

 and several frogs were found, as also six 

 specimens of beetles,, and seven or eight 

 species of land and freshwater shells. In 

 the early part of last century the island 

 was a favourite reeort of sealers, the 

 seals being indi. ciiminately slaughtered, 

 but that had recently been stopped by 

 the Fisheries Commis^ion, with the result 

 that seals once more abounded. Very 

 excellent blackwood grew on the island, 

 large quantities being snipped to Mel- 

 bourne and Launceston. They recom- 

 mended the reservation of a large area 

 as a timber reserve. The dairying in- 

 dustry promised to become a very im- 

 portant one, but better communication 

 wa.s required with the mainland. If the- 

 Marconi system of wireless telegraphy 

 could be installed connecting the island 

 with Victoria and Tasmania, they M-ere- 

 convinced it would soon repay the -nitial 

 outlay, and materiaTy help to increase 

 the population and prosperity of tba 

 island. 



A paper on the "Gneology of King 

 Island" was read by Mr. R. M. .John- 

 ston, and illustrations of the scenery 

 were depicted by means of lantern slide';. 



A vote of thanks to Dr. Elkington, and 

 Messrs. Morton and Johnston terminated' 

 the proceedings. 



