THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST, 59 



Mr. D. M'Alpine. — 51 specimens of Myxomycetes, received 

 from Mr. Lister, author of " A Monograph of the Mycetozoa ; " 

 specimens of Fungi — Stenonitis Jusca (from Doncaster), Hypho- 

 loma fasciculare on raspberry roots (from Wandin Yallock), and 

 I sariagraminiper da {d.tsixoymggxsi'&sm the Lismore district); also, 

 micro. sUde with bacteria, stained, the cause of the move- 

 ment of the spores of Clathrus, mentioned by Mr. Tisdall at last 

 meeting. By Mr. F. M. Reader.— Dried plants of Xanthorrhoea 

 australis, Sm., Goodenia ovata, R. Br., and Erechtites mixta, 

 D. C, new for the north-west of Victoria. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



Omission. — Mr. F. M. Reader's name should have appeared 

 among the authors of papers in last Naturalist, p. 33. ' 



BIRDS OF MYRNIONG AND SURROUNDING 

 DISTRICTS. 



By C. C. Brittlebank. 

 {Read lefore the Field Naturalists' Gluh of Victoria, lOth April, 1899.) 

 The following list has been compiled from notes taken by my 

 brother and myself during the past six years. The area of our 

 observations extends from Melton on the east to the Moorabool 

 River on the west, north to the Lerderderg River, and south to 

 the Brisbane Ranges. Myrniong is situated on the main Ballarat 

 road, 42 miles north-west from Melbourne and about 14 miles 

 south from the Dividing Range, which at this point is some- 

 what below the average altitude. Plants and birds have probably 

 been able to pass this barrier, as there are several species of 

 each found in this district which are almost peculiar to north 

 and north-west Victoria, such as Mallee, Eucalyjytus dumosa, 

 Murray Pines, Callitris cupressiformis. The district has an 

 altitude of from 900 to 1,300 feet above sea level, rising in Mt. 

 Blackwood, a spur from the main divide, to 2,430 feet. In 

 October, 1896, the Fuscous Honey-eater, Ptilotus fusca, ap- 

 peared in great numbers, and has since that date become firmly 

 established in an area not exceeding 100 acres in extent. In 

 compiUng this list we have used the " List of Vernacular Names 

 for Australian Birds " recently published by the Australasian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science. 



Birds breeding in the district are distinguished by an asterisk. 



*Circus assimilis Accipiter cirrhocephalus 



C. gouldi *Uroaetus audax 



Astur (Leucospiza) nov?e- *Haliastur sphenurus 



hoUandise Lophoictinia isura 



A. approximans Elanus axillaris 



