70 THE VICTOKIAN^ ifATXTKALIST 



action of the venom to be much more severe when naturally than 

 when artificially injected, and that the quickness with which it acts 

 depends upon the heat of the blood. 



An interesting discussion took place after the reading of this 

 paper, which in tlie main sided with the author. 



The papers by Mr. Eeader and Dr. Lucas, were postponed, owing 

 to the lateness or the hour. 



The Chairman drew attention to a book by Galton, recently pub- 

 lished in England, containing photographs of what are termed 

 "type faces," and explained the method by which they were pro- 

 duced. The exhibits of the evening were as follow : — By Mr. D. 

 Best, Victorian longicorn beetles ; by Mr A. J. Campbell, eggs of 

 the Australian niglit-iars, Adz., spotted night-jar ( Eurostopodus 

 guttatus), white-throated night-jar (E. albogidaris ) and larg.'-tailed 

 night-jar ( Gaprimulgus macrurus) ; by Mr. A. W. Coles, moui;ted 

 Eose-hill parrakeet, and English stoat, mole and dipper ; by Mr P. 

 Dattari, Australian r\\^ Exotic Coleaptera in illustration of his 

 paper ; by Mr. J. E. Dixon, five species of Victorian birds, viz., 

 wattled honey-eater (J-W^AocAcera caruncidata),\nng'^.\Q iark (Gralh'na 

 picata), Pennant's parrakeet (Platycercus P enn a ntii'), Grej crow 

 shrike {Strepera anaphonensis) and the silver gull ; by Mr T. A. 

 Forbes-Leith, a splendidly mounted specimen of the Avhite Goshawk 

 {Astur Novce-HollandicE), also six species of American birds, viz., 

 golden-winged woodpecker {Colaptes auratus), downy woodpecker 

 (Picus pubescens), shore lark (^Alander alpestris), white-throated 

 Sparrow (Zonotmula alhicollis), white-bellied nuthatch {Sitta 

 Caroltnensts), and Eed-bellied Nuthatch, (Sitta Canadensis) ; 

 by Mr. C. French, the rare Queensland bettle Ort/ct".? Muelh'ri, iilst) 

 spring wild flowers from Brighton ; by Mr. H. Kennon, curious 

 lichen from Dandenong ; by Mr. J. E. Prince, entomological 

 specimens : and by Mr. T. Worcester, two specimens of the rare 

 shell Con us cinereus from ISTew Guinea. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



BALLAEAT FIELD CLUB. 



We append an account of the microscopical exhibits at the 

 Annual Conversazione of the above club, which we were unable from 

 lack of space to insert in our last issue : — Mr. W. H. Wooster, M. 

 MiCj^.Soc. Vic, showed stained plant section s e.g. j uncus communis, 

 clematis , scented verben aT pteris aquilina (tnese were shewn stained 

 fed and blue, and also red and green) ; casuarina, pine, orange. 

 Acacia mollissimg .- Eucali/ptus c/lobulus , Ban ksi cT'a ustrali s, sj'ord 

 grass, lime tree and " black berry ^these were stamed red and green) ; 



