56 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



NOTES. 



Victorian Moths. — Lepidopterists are informed that a limited 

 number of reprints of each part of Mr. Lower's " List of Vic- 

 torian Moths," now in course of publication in the Naturalist^ 

 can be procured from the hon. librarian at a cost of 3d. per copy. 



Field Naturalists' Section of the Royal Society of 

 South Australia. — The proceedings of this Society for 1891-2^ 

 are to hand, and from the reports of meetings and excursions 

 contained, though in an abridged form, it can be seen good work 

 is being done. The Section is to be congratulated on the success 

 of its efforts to secure the reservation of a national park, some 

 2,000 acres, on the south-western slopes of Mt. Lofty, within 15, 

 miles of Adelaide by rail, having been perpetually reserved. 



The Natural History Society of Queensland. — The first 

 annual report of this Society, for 1892, records a very interesting 

 year's work. Some 18 papers were read, dealing with different 

 branches of Queensland natural history; and numerous fine exhibits. 

 of specimens, especially insects, were tabled during the year. 



Catalogue of Australian Mammals. — This handbook,, 

 recently issued by the trustees of the Australian Museum, Sydney,, 

 has been compiled from various sources, duly acknowledged, by 

 Mr. J. Douglas Ogilby, F.L.S., and contains careful descriptions 

 of all known mammals indigenous to Australia, with notes on. 

 allied fossil forms. The list contains 209 species, as well as eight 

 well-marked varieties. Several of the 174 species of the last 

 authentic list (Krefift's " Australian Vertebrata, Recent and 

 Fossil," 1877) have been treated as synonyms or varieties of 

 other species, for reasons given. The work includes a general 

 introduction to the class Mammalia, with special reference to the 

 osteology. The different orders, families, and genera are 

 briefly defined, and their dentition, habits, &c., given ; whilst 

 dimensions, habitats, and references are given with each species,, 

 with other occasional notes — thus forming a guide which should 

 be in the hands of every student of Australian Mammalology, the 

 general plan and printing of the catalogue being excellent. 



Sealing in 1892. — During the Newfoundland sealing season 

 of 1892 no less than 349,369 seals were taken by twenty vessels, 

 besides which about 25,000 were captured in the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence. One vessel secured no less than 40,904, and the 

 total catch is valued at ^^250,000. It is not to be wondered at,, 

 with this enormous destruction of life, that an extension of the 

 close season is strongly urged. The whale fishery produced 

 10 right whales, 1,309 white whales, and 67 walrus, of a total 

 value of ;^i9,7oo. Four vessels went to the Antarctic Seas, but 

 reports are not to hand from them yet, as they only left Port 

 Stanley (Falkland Islands) to commence work on nth December,, 

 1892. The success of this venture is being eagerly watched. — 

 T. Southwell, F.L.S., in Zoologist, March, 1893. 



