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Vol. III.— No. 10. FEBRUAEY, 1887. No. 38. 



THE FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The monthly meeting of the Club was held at the Royal 

 Society's Hall on Monday evening, 17th January, 1887. 



The president, the Rev. J. J. Halley, occupied the chair, and 

 about sixty members and visitors were present. 



A memo, was read from Mr. A. J. Campbell, stating that he 

 was making inquiries as to an expedition to King's Island, as 

 suggested at last meeting, and expected it would take place 

 about November next. 



The hon. librarian reported the receipt of the following 

 donations to the library: — "The Midland Naturalist" for 1884 

 (12 Nos.), from Mr. A. J. Pickering, Great Western; the 

 "Journal of Pharmacy," December, 1886. 



The following were elected members of the Club : — Miss A. 

 Simmons, Messrs. Purves and H. Watson. 



On the suggestion of the president, it was decided to ask the 

 Government to appoint a representative of the Club on the 

 Commission for the Centennial Exhibition ; the opinion being 

 expressed that Natural History had hitherto been greatly over- 

 looked in connection with such matters. 



PAPERS READ. 



1. Mr. D. Le Souef read a paper entitled " Notes of a Trip to 

 the Lake Albacutya District." The author gave an interesting 

 account of the different birds he met with in that district, and 

 entered more fully into the habits of the lowans or mallee-hens. 

 He mentioned that great destruction had been caused among 

 the birds of the district by the use of poisoned water, set 

 principally for dingoes and rabbits, and in the discussion which 

 followed there was a general expression of opinion that, in view 

 of the rapid extermination of many kinds of birds, greater 

 caution should be exercised in the use of poisoned water. 



2. Mr. H. W. Hunt read a paper entitled "Notes on Aus- 

 tralian Birds' Nests," in which he briefly ghmced at the principal 

 distinctive features of the nests of many of our Australian birds. 



