PROCEEDINGS, NOVEMBER. Xxl 



Meteorological Observer for Tasmania. Captain Shortt turniahed this 

 Society with many valuable notes. He was a regular attendant at our 

 meetings and took part in our discussions, although the hour at which 

 he made his evening observations necessitated his leaving generally 

 before they were over. He was an accurate and careful observer, and 

 his sound common sense in dealing wich his observations rendered them 

 of much practical use. 



The papers submitted to the Society this session have been of con- 

 siderable interest and value. Mr. J. Shirley, one of our corresponding 

 members, furnished a list of the known Lichens of Tasmania, and the 

 Rev. F. R. M, Wilson, F.L.S., of Victoria, another of our correspond- 

 ing members, submitted a paper on " The Climate of Eastern Tasmania, 

 indicated by its Lichen Flora." Mr. A. T. Urquhart furnished notes 

 **0n some Tasmanian Spiders," and Mr. A. Morton "On some Tas- 

 manian Insects, Thyrmeleon Sp. and a Cicadia," Mr. T. Stephens, 

 M.A., read " Some Notes on a Specimen of Orthoceratite from the 

 Silurian Limestone at Riilton, in the Mersey District." Professor Ralf 

 Tate, F.G.S., who will be the next President of the Australasian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, furnished a paper on the 

 classificatory portion and synonyms of the Eaetoniella Eufilabris. 

 Colonel Legge submitted some notes " On the Occurrence of some 

 Australian Cranes, Ardiedce, in Tasmania;" "On the Destruction of 

 Mutton Birds in the Straits Islands ;" " Note on Voracity of the Kelp 

 Fish;" and " On a Tasmanian Acanthiza (Bush Tit)." Mr. G. M. 

 Thomson, F.L.S., of New Zealand, a corresponding member, furnished 

 «ome " Notes on Tasmanian Crustacea, with description of a New- 

 Species ;" and Mr. J. R. McClymont, M. A., some remarks concerning 

 various means of encouraging the study of Natural History in Tasmania." 

 Mr. A. J. Taylor, F L.S., laid before us some " Notes on the Square- 

 set System.'of Timbering in Mining at Zeehan and Dundas," and " On 

 the use of the Woomera, or Throwsticks, by the Aborigines of Tas- 

 mania." Mr. A. B. Biggs submitted some "Remarks on Sir Robert 

 Ball's paper read at the Hobart meeting of the Australasian Science 

 Association, entitled "The Astronomical Explanation of a Glacial 

 Period." From Mr. H. C. Russell, F.R.S., Government Astronomer of 

 N^ew South Wales, we had a most interesting and valuable paper 

 *' On the Proposed Leake School of Practical Astronomy," in which 

 he recommended that the Leake bequest of £10,000 should be handed 

 over to the Tasmanian University, who should establish a school of 

 astronomy, and an observatory, to be called the Leake Observatory, 

 This proposal is now before the Council of the University, and it ia 

 to be hoped that the trustees of the bequest and the university autho- 

 rities will see their way to carry out Mr. Russell's suggestion. I 

 think we all agree with him when he says, " It seems to me most fitting 

 that the colony in which this noble bequest was made should be the first 

 to take up and to benefit by its provisions." At our first meeting this 

 aes'^ion we had a paper from Mr* W. E. Shoobridge on " Tasmanian 

 Apples in London." In this interesting paper, wliich gave rise to a 

 good deal of discussion, Mr. Shoobridge deals with the effect of soil, 

 irrigation, and climatic conditions in the production of apple?, and with 

 the best means of securing that they reach the English market in a 

 perfect condition. An industry of this sort; is always subject at 

 starting to severe checks from a want of knowledge as to the conditions 

 most suitable to its proper development, and careful and accurate 

 observation in every detail are essential before such knowledge can be 

 attained. But these difficulties will be overcome, and, in my view, 

 there is a great future for this industry, which will in time become as 

 stable an industry as is that of Australian frozen meat, and I believe it 

 will be a source of much wealth to Tasmania in future. To-night we 

 liave had the pleasure of listening to an interesting paper, by Mr. 



