50 THE VICTORIAN NATDRALIST. 



the collection of the scattered literature on Victorian crypto- 

 gamic botany ; secondly, the distribution of the different 

 tranches of the department to special workers ; and thirdly, 

 the providing of works of reference and journalistic literature 

 containing the latest information. 



Miss F. M. Campbell exhibited a large number of lichens 

 mounted and named. 



The following were the principal exhibits of the evening: — 

 3y Mr. C. H. Brittlebank, a case of coleoptera, collected since 

 iast meeting ; also, water-coloured drawings of beetles and 

 larvae. By Mr. E. M. Cornwall, New Zealand birds, viz.,- 

 the kea, Nestor notahilis ; the weka, Ocydromus Australis ; the 

 kakapo, Stringops huhroptilus ; the kaka, Nestor meridionalis ; 

 and the southern tern, Sternua frontalis. By Mrs. Flatow, 

 sponges from Queenscliff and Port Phillip Heads. By Mr. C. 

 French, F.L.S.,wild flowers; also, rare diurnal moths from North 

 ■Queensland. By Mr. C. Frost, specimens of the net fungus, 

 Ileodictyon cibarium, in various stages, from Kew. By Mr. H. C. 

 Grover, a leveret (mounted). By Mr. E. H. Hennell, reindeer 

 moss, from Sweden ; volcanic dust, from recent eruptions at 

 Tarawera, New Zealand ; petrified wood, from tree five feet 

 in diameter, found 87 feet below surface at Gembrook. By Mr. 

 A. H. S. Lucas, M.A., British species of genus Orchis. By Mr. 

 J, E. Prince, coal, from Moe Coal Company and Narracan Coal 

 Company, Gippsland ; also, specimens of the overlying sand- 

 stone. By Mr. H. L. Thompson, crab, Platyonychus bipustulatus, 

 from Port Phillip. By Mr. H. Watts, 72 specimens of marine 

 Bryozoa, mounted for the microscope. By Mr. J. Wing, gold 

 and golden quartz, from Golden Gate Company, Rushworth. 

 By Mr. S. H. Wintle, F.L.S., plant impressions in shale, and 

 garnetiferous gneiss, from New Zealand ; Mytiliis, coated with 

 fossil polyzoa, from cutting at West Melbourne Swamp ; plates 

 of artificially produced Dendrites. By Master A. Yelland, 

 crystals from basalt, Clifton Hill quarries. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



The following notice appears in Hardwicke's Science Gossip, 

 No. 269, May, 1887, on a new book by Professor M'AIpine, 

 biological lecturer and member of this club : — " Life Histo'-ies of 

 Flants, by Professor D. M Alpine (London : Swan Sonnenschein 

 and Co.) These are a series of careful studies well illustrated, 

 and dealing entirely with the lower life of the vegetable kingdom. 

 The first and most extensive chapter is devoted to the compara- 

 tive study of plants and animals on a physiological basis ; and 

 the book is worth buying for the sake of this chapter alone. The 

 book is beautifully got up." 



