50 



10. From H. Bilton, Esq.— A Lizard (Omolepida camaHncR), from 

 Glenorchy. 



11. From the Zoological and Acclimatisation Society of Victoria — 

 Proceedings for 1872, Vol. 2. 



12. From Dr. Agnew — Lindley's "System of Botany," and ** Intro- 

 duction to Botany " (2 vols). 



Of these No. 7 was brought under special notice as a very valuable 

 presentation, afifording as it does a contemporaneous record of events 

 of a past and eventful period, and thus presenting many points of 

 interest to the reader of history. 



The papers referred to as presentation No. 8 were examined with 

 curiosity by several of the Fellows, many of them, as legal documents, 

 by their brevity and vagueness of diction affording remarkable contrast 

 to similar instruments of the present times of the colony. 



The Chairman read the following note from Professor McCoy, 

 relative to the Tasmanian Kingfish, referred to at the last meeting of the 

 Society : — 



** Note of Thyrsites micropus (McCoy), — In reply to the remark of 

 Mr. Allport I beg to say that the Thyrsites solanderi differs so much 

 from Thyrsites micropus that I did not think it necessary to point the 

 differences out. The latter is much shorter and deeper, has fewer fin 

 rays in dorsal and anal fins ; has more than double the number of 

 dorsal and anal finnules, and has the lateral line forked." 



After the explanation thus given by the learned Professor, the 

 Chairman said he could only come to the conclusion that we had on our 

 coasts besides the Barracouta [Ihyrsites atun) two other species of 

 Thyrsites both known as " King-fish ;" and this might also account 

 for the marked difference in the quality of these fish. 



The following extract from the Government Gazette of the 31st March, 

 1827, kindly forwarded by Mr. Calder, was read : — 



"King's Island, — This island, of which Mr. Barnard has completed 

 a laborious and interesting survey, is about 30 miles long from north to 

 south, and 12 or 15 from east to west, and with the exception of the 

 hills near the shore, is low and flat. Mr. Barnard crossed it by six 

 different routes, and found the soil and its products, generally speaking, 

 inferior to those in this island. It is well watered near the coast, but 

 except a rivulet to the north of Sea Elephant Bay on the East Coast, 

 possesses no stream of any magnitude. The tide was found to rise some 

 feet higher on the east than on the west coast, a phenomenon which 

 confirms the theory of the general progressive motion of the sea, in- 

 fluenced by the sun in that direction. It scarcely possesses one good 

 harbour, the best being at New Year's Island. Gum trees prevail, 

 besides which, the black and light woods, the celery leafed pine, and 

 the sassafras abound in perfection. There is a shrub that the sealers use 

 in the place of tea, and which affords an acrid, stimulating drink, and 

 also a viscous strong smelling plant which they smoke as tobacco. 

 Kangaroo are not very numerous, but the small species called wallaby, 

 on the western coast, are almost like rabbits in a warren. Mr. 

 Barnard makes no mention of the small white wombat, which affords 

 such delicate eating, and we fear the dogs left on the island by the 

 sealers have nearly destroyed the species. The sea elephant and seals, 

 with the bones of which the beach is strewed, are, we regret to say, 

 also become very scarce. Swans, ducks, teal, snipe, quail, pigeons, a 

 peculiar species of cockatoo, and a sort of widgeon, also common at 

 Macquarie Island, in size between the quail and partridge, a very 

 pretty bird and very delicate eating, are all found in abundance," &c. 



Several members expressed doubts as to the existence at any time 

 of a "white" wombat as a distinct species. If one occasionally had 



