94 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



mania," which had been presented to the Club's Ubrary by the 

 author, and said that the work would no doubt prove of great 

 service to working ornithologists. 



PAPERS READ. 



1. By Mr. H. T. Tisdall, entitled " Plants of Prey." 



The author called attention to the so-called carnivorous plants, 

 such as the Droseras, Bladder-worts (Utricularia), Pitcher-plants of 

 Western Australia, and the Nepenthes of Queensland, describing 

 some of their more prominent features. 



2. By Mr. D. M'Alpine, entitled " Description of a New 

 Parasitic Agaric." 



The author described a new species of fungus of the genus 

 Hebeloma (Agaricacese), which had been found by Mr. C. French, 

 jun., during the Cheltenham excursion, growing on the stem of an 

 orchid, Pterostylis pedunculata, R. Br., it being most unusual for a 

 Hebeloma to be parasitic. 



3. By Rev. W. Fielder, F.R.M.S., entitled "Egg-cells and 

 their Development." 



The egg-cells of amphioxus, crayfish, frog, and bird were taken 

 as representing types of alecithal, centrolecithal, and telolecithal 

 eggs. After a detailed account of the processes involved, illus- 

 trated by blackboard sketches, in the extrusion of the polar bodies 

 and the fertilization of the egg of the frog had been given, the 

 influence of food-yolk upon the segmentation of the egg-cell was 

 graphically described by comparison with other typical eggs. The 

 significant fact that the egg-cells of such diverse types as those 

 mentioned all passed through practically the same stages in their 

 early development was strongly insisted upon as a proof of the 

 importance of embryology to a due appreciation of the position 

 taken up by leading naturalists as to the origin of diverse forms 

 of animal life. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Mr. D. Le Souef read a note on the occurrence of double 



eggs- 

 Mr. E. R. Hammett, Mansfield, reported that an eagle had 



recently been shot there measuring 6 feet 8 inches from tip to tip 



of wing and 3 feet from beak to tail, and weighing 8 lbs. 



Mr. R. Hall read a note on a supposed hybrid duck, in 



measurement resembling Anas sujyerciliosa and in colour Nettion 



castaneum. 



EXHIBITS. 



By Mr. A. Coles. — White Ptarmigan (mounted). By Rev. W. 

 Fielder. — Micro, slides in illustration of his remarks on egg-cells. 

 By Mr. D. Le Souef. — Head of Murray Cod, from fish weighing 

 90 lbs., from Edwards River, N.S.W. ; also double duck egg. By 

 Mr. D. M'Alpine. — Coloured drawing of fungus Heheloma frenchii 

 (new to science). By Mr. Jas. Lidgett. — 40 species of Coccidse, 

 from Ceylon. By Mr. F. M. Reader. — Dried plants of *S<acMoMsi<ap 



