60 *HB ViCTORiAN NATURALIST*. 



information it is desired that an early opportunity will be taken 

 to make an examination of the eastern portion, unable to be 

 visited at Christmas for want of time. 



*' The twenty-second volume of the Cub's journal has been 

 completed under the able guidance of our esteemed editor. The 

 thanks of the members are again due to Mr. Barnard for the 

 efficient manner and the ever-watchful care exercised in its 

 production. 



" The volume just completed is the largest yet issued, and the 

 expenditure necessary shows a rather large increase — viz., ^^36 

 17s. 3d. Of this, however, ;^i4 2s. 3d. was spent in providing a 

 number of interesting and useful maps and plates. Members 

 may justly feel proud of the Victorian Nahiralist, which bears 

 favourable comparison with any similar production, and occupies 

 no unworthy place upon the shelves of learned societies and 

 scientists throughout the world. Many requests for it in 

 exchange have been dealt with during the year, showing that 

 it has a value outside the circle of the Club. 



" We are gratified to notice an increasing interest in natural 

 history in the public press, and many interesting questions have 

 been discussed during the year. This, with the teaching of 

 nature studies in the schools, will do much to popularize the 

 study of our native fauna and flora in our midst. 



" Perhaps the most successful meeting within the history of the 

 Club was that held in the Masonic Hall on 8th February last, 

 the occasion being an illustrated description of the National 

 Park, when Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., at the request of the com- 

 mittee, explained the views. The attendance was very large, 

 there being at least 1,000 people present. About 120 views, 

 selected from a large series taken by members during the trip, 

 were shown, and in addition others descriptive of the southern 

 portion of the Promontory, not visited by the party, were kindly 

 lent by Mr. D. Bird. The thanks of the Club are due to these 

 members for the loan of negatives, to Mr. D. Bird for loan of 

 slides, and to Mr. J. A. Armitage, Mr. G. R. Macey, and Mr. 

 Thomas, who generously placed the best of the pictures they had 

 taken at the service of the Club. It was deemed advisable by 

 the committee to have a set of slides prepared for future use. 

 This has been done, and 88 of the most suitable views were made, 

 and are now the property of the Club. 



" After an interval of three years a conversazione, the fifteenth, 

 was held in the Masonic Hall on Thursday and Friday, 19th and 

 20th October, 1905. The attendances on each evening and the 

 intervening afternoons were very large, and the great proportion 

 of juniors and scholars attending during the afternoon was 

 particularly noticeable. The exhibits were of a high standard, and 

 reflected great credit on the exhibitors for the care and attention 

 bestowed upon their collections. The number of flowers exhibited 



