THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 31 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 

 7'o tJie Editor of the Victorian Naturalist. 

 Sir, — I was greatly pleased, when present at your conversazione 

 last week, to hear Professor Spencer say that at last there was 

 some reasonable chance of an early extension of the buildings at 

 the National Museum. Having waited so long it may seem 

 rather injudicious to propose any opposition on account of which 

 the matter may be indefinitely postponed, but at the risk of so 

 doing I would venture to suggest that the Field Naturalists' Club 

 should exert its influence in favour of the removal of the National 

 Museum to a more central and accessible site, say at the Public 

 Library, where there is room for an annexe, similar to the picture 

 galleries, along the Latrobe-street frontage. Here a museum 

 would be in close proximity to the existing literature, and thus 

 permit of greater facilities for study. It may be said that the 

 Museum is required at the University for teaching purposes, but 

 I think on inquiry it will be found that the biological and other 

 schools possess nearly enough typical specimens, and that if 

 more are required they can be easily spared from the National 

 collection. The so-called assistants' rooms at the Museum are a 

 disgrace to Victoria, and the whole of the accommodation is far 

 behind that of the Australian Museum, Sydney, as I remember it 

 some years ago. 



Along with others I deeply deplore the death of the late 

 director. Sir F. McCoy, but think that now, as there is a vacancy 

 in the management, is the time to bring the Museum more within 

 reach of the average citizen and student. — I am, &c., 



KANGAROO. 



Melbourne, 27th May, 1899. 



[" Kangaroo," and doubtless other readers, will be pleased to 

 know that the desirability of removing the Museum as suggested 

 above was affirmed at a meeting of the trustees on the ist inst,, 

 and at the same time Professor Spencer was appointed honorary 

 director. — Ed. Vict. Nat.'] 



The Tupong in Salt Water. — The Tupong, Marble Fish, or 

 Freshwater Flathead, Pseudaphritis urvillei, C. and V. = P. bassii, 

 Castlenau, a few years ago suddenly appeared in our streams, but, 

 since Castlenau's description nearly thirty years since, had not 

 been recorded from Victorian seas. Obviously, to rapidly spread 

 from stream to stream it must pass through salt water, though its 

 capture in the sea had not been noted. On the recent visit of the 

 Club to the Aquarium, in the Exhibition Buildings, I noticed what 

 I believe to be P. urvillei in a saltwater tank, along with several 

 specimens of " Leatherjackets " (Monacanthus, sp.) I drew the 



