THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. ' 167 



was in full bloom and quite alive with various insects. Among 

 the beetles taken may be mentioned the longicornes, Macrones 

 exilis, Eroschema Poweri, Amphirrhoe decora, Hes thesis cingulata, 

 H. plorata, Uracanthus biritta, Tritocosviia Roei, T. paradoxa, 

 Psilomorpha sp., Pempsamacra dispersa, P. pygviCBa, and P. vestita ; 

 of buprestidse about 20 species were obtained, also many 

 representatives of the other families. Cicadas were, of course, 

 plentiful, while some good lepidoptera, hymenoptera, and 

 diptera were also taken. A fine specimen of the orchid Dipo- 

 dium pundatum in full bloom was noted, and the pretty blue 

 " pincushion " flower (Brunonia Australis) was very plentiful. 

 Some fine specimens of the native cherry ( Exocarpos sp.,J were 

 noticed in full fruit. Unfortunately, the river was rather high, 

 and the usual crossing places being covered, prevented the 

 eastern bank from being thoroughly worked. 



The following persons were duly elected members of the 

 Club :— Mrs. M. H. Davies, Master Davies, Miss M'Gowan, and 

 the Rev. G. Hay, M.A. 



The president announced that Mr. C. A. Topp, M.A., one of 

 the vice-presidents of the Club, had been elected a Fellow of 

 the Linnean Society of London. 



The president laid on the table, for the information of the 

 members, an advance proof of the greater portion of part i of 

 Baron von Mueller's "Key to the System of Victorian Plants," 

 and remarked that the work would be a very great help to 

 Victorian botanists, and as a local flora would probably be 

 unequalled in the world. His remarks were endorsed by 

 Messrs. C. A. Topp, F.L.S., and J. E. Prince. 



PAPERS READ. 



1. By Mr. H. W. Hunt, on " The Coloration of Birds' Eggs." 

 The author advanced three general rules for the colour exhibited 

 by the eggs of various species of birds. Firstly, that eggs laid in 

 dark situations or by nocturnal birds are, as a rule, white ; 

 secondly, that eggs laid on the bare ground or in exposed 

 situations are usually coloured like their surroundings ; and 

 thirdly, that eggs laid in open nests are generally conspicuously 

 coloured. He also made the suggestion that birds may have a 

 love of the beautiful, and therefore make the power of laying of 

 variously coloured eggs a point in the selection of their mates. 

 The paper was well illustrated with specimens, and gave rise to 

 an interesting discussion, in which Prof. Spencer, Messrs. Lucas, 

 Topp, and others took part. 



2. By Mr. H. T. Tisdall, F.L.S., "The Fungi of Victoria," 

 part I. The author pointed out several differences in the differ- 

 ent groups of fungi, and ^ave a more detailed account of the 

 structure of the genus Agaricus, and submitted a list of species 

 mostly collected by himself in various parts of the colony. The 

 paper was illustrated with dried specimens. 



