THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST 



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Among the manj'' excellent recommendations of the Conference 

 of Inspectors of State Schools held this month in Melbourne, we 

 notice that object lessons are proposed by way of training Victorian 

 children to habits of accurate observation. It is to be hoped that 

 the suggestion will be accepted by the Government, and that th(? 

 eyes thus opened will be used for the furtherance of natural science 

 in the colony. 



We are very pleased to announce that Mr. Charles French, one 

 of the founders of the F.^M.C, and one of our most active practical 

 botanists, has been appointed second assistant to Baron von 

 Mueller, the GrOTernment botanist. Mr. French will doubtless do 

 good work in this congenial sphere. He enters on his new duties 

 on Marcli 1st. 



Botany. — Ferns. — It may be interesting to collectors to know 

 that the following ferns may be found at the Deep Creek about four 

 miles beyond Doncaster Tower : — Dicksonia antarctica, Alsophila 

 australis, Lomaria discolor, L. capensis, Doodia caudata, Aspleniuni 

 flabellifolium, Davallia dubia, Adiantum gethiopicum, Cheilanthes 

 tenuifolia, Pteris falcata, P. aquiliua. — F.G.A.B. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



Postal Microscopical Society. 

 (To the Editor of the " Victorian ISTaturalist.") 



Sir, — With reference to the report of last month's proceedings of 

 our F. N. Club in the daily papers, will you please inform your 

 readers, that it is intended to exchange objects for examination with 

 the microscopists of Sydney and Adelaide, promises of active 

 suppport from the two cities being promised. The box exhibited 

 was from the Micro-section of the Royal Society of New South 

 Wales, and Avhen this box had been examined by the several 

 workers in Melbourne will be forwarded to Adelaide. 



With reference to the objects in the Sydney box, one was a speci- 

 men of Marine Bryozoa, which I thought was something new, but 

 not thinking myself quite certain on the subject, sent it to Dr. 

 Macgillivray of Sandhurst, who says that : "It is a species of 

 Flustra, which I had not previously seen, and which is probblya 

 undescribed. There seems to be a layer of cells on both sides (the 

 difference between Flustra and Carbasea), and it is a pity that it was 

 mounted on a dark ground, so as to prevent a view of both sides." 

 Here then is a sample of notes expected from workers. This species 

 of Flustra has been mounted for years, and probably would have 



1884. 



