17 



NOVEMBER, 1878. 



The monthly evening meeting of the Society, the last of the present 

 session, was held on Tuesday, the 12th Nov., J. Barnard, Esq.. in the 

 chair.- 



The Secretary, Dr. Agnew, brought forward the usual returns for 

 the past month, viz. : — 



1. Number of Visitors to jMuseum, 2616. 



2. Ditto to Gardens, 5833, 



3. Plants and Seeds received at the Botanic Gardens during October : 



— From C. H. Huber, France, 34 packets seeds ; from Mr. F, M. 

 Bailey, Queensland, seeds of Eucalyptus Baileyaaa ; from Mr. 

 E. B. Heyne, Adelaide, 200 packets seeds ; from Mr. Lidbetter, 

 plant of Ceijhaloiiis folUcularls. 



4. Time of leating, flowering, and fruiting of a few standard plants 



in the Botanic Gardens during October. 



5. Books and Periodicals received. 



6. Presentations to Museum. 

 Meteorological Returns : — 



1. Hobart Town, from F. Abbott, Esq.— Table for October. 



2. New Norfolk, from W. E. Shoobridge, Esq. — Summary of Obser- 



vations for October, 



3. Coast Stations, from the Marine Board — King's Island, Tables for 



July, August, and September; Mount Nelson and South Bruni, 

 Tables for October. 

 The presentations to the Museum were as follows : — 



1. From Captain J. W. Johnson, barque Sea Shell — Two Bows, one 



Club, one Fishing Arrow, and a bundle of Poisoned Arrows, 

 from Pentecost Island. 



2. From Mr. W. F. Petterd — Fourteen new species of Tasmanian 



Land Shells. 



3. From Mr. E. N. Spong — A curious sponge from King's Island. 



4. From Mr. J. E. Baynton — Two Specimens of a Fungus, somewhat 



resembling the Morel of Europe, from a gully on Mount Welling- 

 ton. (One of these specimens has been sent to Baron von Mueller 

 for identiHcation.) 



5. From Mr. Yeoland— Three fine specimens of a species of Coral, 



from Long Bay. 



6. From Mr. C. E. Beddome— Type specimens of a new species of 



Succ'inea, from Queenborough. 



7. From Mr. J. C. Bethune, Dunrobin— Specimens of the Mountain 



Thrush {Oreoc'mcla lunulatct). 



8. From the Rev. B. Stafl"ord Bird— A Salmon grilse, caught off the 



Carlton Bluff. 

 (This fine specimen was caught in a net by the Rev. B, Stafford 

 Bird, in the salt water, about fifteen miles to the east of the entrance 

 to the Derwent.) 



9. From Mr. B. R. Dyer — Specimens of curious shell-like cases made 



by the larva of an insect. 

 In reference to these specimens jNIr. Dyer writes : — '"'Mr. Swainson, 

 F.R.S., F.L.S., &c., &c., in his treatise on shells and shell-tish, gave a 

 description and drawing, and also erected a new genus [Thelldomus) for 

 the reception of what he supposed to be an entirely new and distinct 

 form of fresh water shell. His disappointment must have been great 

 when the observations of other scientists disclosed the fact that his 

 supposed discovery was not a shell, but simply the home of a small 

 freshwater insect, constructed with great skill out of small particles of 

 sand cemented together with some glutinous substance. So true and 



