THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 41 



looked for year by year fresh competitors will assuredly come for- 

 ward. Exhibits such as we desire necessarily take time to collect, 

 and the success or non-success of the scheme cannot well be 

 judged till it has been in operation for some years. We again 

 call attention to the fact that a prize fund in connection with 

 these annual competitions has been started, in order that the 

 general funds of the club may not be encroached upon, and in 

 soliciting subscriptions express regret that the appeal has not met 

 with that substantial support which it deserves, only one or two 

 members outside of the executive having up to the present sup- 

 ported it. We take this opportunity of thanking those who have 

 shown their sympathy in a practical manner. Baron von Mueller, 

 with his usual kindness, has again consented to distribute the 

 prizes to the successful competitors this evening. 



" In a recent circular the committee intimated that the yearly 

 conversazione would be held about the end of May. Since that 

 notice appeared we, in company with a good many others, have 

 suffered considerable inconvenience by the locking up of the 

 funds of the Club in the London Chartered Bank. This, together 

 with the continued retention of the fixed deposit and current 

 account (as notified in last year's report) by the Metropolitan 

 Bank, finally decided the committee in further postponing the 

 conversazione. 



" It has been decided to hold the next extended excursion of 

 the Club on the Furneaux Group, the eastern islands of Bass 

 Straits, in November next. The sub-committee appointed to 

 arrange the necessary details hope to issue a full report in the 

 course of the next few weeks. 



"As usual, the Club has kept watch on the interests of our 

 feathered friends, and two deputations have, during the past year, 

 waited upon the Commissioner of Customs, to advocate the im- 

 position of a gun tax, and to protest against any alteration in the 

 date for the close season for quail. As regards the former effort, 

 a change of Government, naturally, somewhat obscured the re- 

 sults, but public opinion favoured the efforts of the Club, and 

 no doubt, indirectly, our insectivorous birds will benefit by the 

 publicity given to the reckless and indiscriminate shooting which 

 is too prevalent amongst us. Those who guarded the interests of 

 the quail are glad to state that the old rule as regards the close 

 season still remains in force. 



" Exhibits of wild flowers were held at the October and No- 

 vember meetings. On the first occasion the show was a very 

 good one, but the November one did not reach in degree of 

 excellence that of the previous year — we venture to think not so 

 much from the scarcity of flowers at that season as from the fact 

 that many members entirely overlooked the notice soliciting 

 exhibits which appeared in the monthly circular for that date. 



