THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 97 



FIELD NATUEALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



Thk monthly meeting of the Club was held at the Royal Society's 

 Hall, Melbourne, on Monday evening, October 13th, 1884. 



Mr. T. A. Forbes-Leith, vice-president, occupied the chair, and 

 about sixty members and visitors were present. 



Correspondence was read from the Minister of Lands, stating 

 that instructions had been issued to prosecute persons destroying 

 trees, &c., in Studley Park. From Mr. A. J. Campbell, suggesting 

 a camping out expedition on Prince of Wales' Birthday, at the 

 Olinda Creek, near Lilydale. It was decided to form a party as 

 proposed. 



The hon. secretary reported that the monthly excursion held a/; 

 Cheltenhaui was well attended, and the members fairly successful in 

 their search for specimens. 



The hon. librarian stated tliat the committee having decided to 

 add some works of reference to the club's library, he would be glad 

 to receive suggestions as to suitable books. 



Dr. Dobson announced that as Baron von Mueller had undertaken 

 the compilation of a students' Victorian Botany, the proposed depu- 

 tation to the Royal Society had been postponed for the present. 



The following ladies and gentlemen were elected members of the 

 club : — Miss Halley, Miss E. Halley, Miss Hood, and Messrs. C. 

 Chandler, Wm. Patterson, and G. Rose. 



Papers for future meetings were promised by Messrs. Best and 

 French, "Notes of Trip to Mulwala ;" by Mr. H. Watts, " On 

 Staining Vegetable Tissues;" by Mr. F. M. Reader, "Notes on 

 the Phanerogamous Plants of Studley Park." 



Papers read — 1. Mr. Reader gave a very interesting paper "On 

 the History of Botany before the time of Linn^us," in which he 

 traced the growth of that study from the earliest times, and mentioned 

 the various writers who had left records of their work. 



2. Mr C. French contributed the fifth part of his paper on the 

 Orchids of Victoria, in which he described the following species : — 

 Diuris siilphurea, D. ■pedunculata, CryiJtostylis longifolia, Ortlwceras 

 ■strictiim, Prasophyllum elatimi, and P.Jlavum, and exhibited dried 

 specimens of them. 



3. Dr. Lucas read the descriptions of the Eggs of seven species 

 of birds, recently obtained by him, and hitherto undescribed, being 

 as follows : — Moth-plumed Podargus (^Podargus phalanoides) ; 2. 

 Marbled Podargus (P. marmoratus) ; 3. Red-vented Parrakeet 

 (Psephotus hoematorrhinus) ; 4. Black-capped Sittella (^SittellapiJeata) ; 



