THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 65 



as the first hon. secretary, a post which he continued to fill 

 with the utmost satisfaction for four years. The first committee 

 consisted of Messrs. C. French, now Government Entomologist; 

 Mr. (now Colonel) J. R. Y. Goldstein, then an ardent worker 

 in marine polyzoa ; Mr. W. T. Kendall, the well-known 

 veterinary surgeon ; Mr. T. A. Forbes-Leith, an experienced 

 ornithologist, and one who never failed to bring an exhibit 

 to our meetings month after month for years ; Mr. J. G. 

 Luehmann, whose loss we had to deplore some eighteen months 

 ago ; and Mr. J. Wing, the mention of whose name will doubtless 

 remind some of our older members of his patriotic efforts in 

 founding the first periodical in Victoria devoted to natural science 

 — the Southern Science Record — of which I shall have something 

 to say later on. 



" It was then agreed to hold the first monthly meeting on the 

 second Monday in June (the 14th), and that Monday has been 

 sacred to natural science in Victoria ever since ; while the first 

 field day, as it was called, was fixed for the following Saturday at 

 Brighton. This locality has ever been a favourite one for Club 

 excursions ; but what a change from then to now ! Then there 

 was no train to Sandringham, and to reach the heath country near 

 the Red Bluff meant a good walk either way. Would that a few 

 acres of that botanist's paradise had been retained in its original 

 state for future generations. 



" At the June and July meetings of the Club fifty-six gentlemen 

 were elected, and were afterwards termed ' original members.' 

 Of these we still have with us Messrs. W. M. Bale, F. Barnard, 

 F. G. A. Barnard, D. Best, F. C. Christy, J. E. Dixon, R. L. J. 

 Ellery, C. French, A. J. North, F. Pitcher, O. A. Sayce, T. G. 

 Sloane, and F. Wisewould, several of whom have done yeoman 

 service in helping our society along, and thereby conferring a 

 lasting benefit on succeeding members. 



" The June meeting was held in a room in the Town Hall, and 

 Mr. Best relates that when he approached the powers in authority, 

 and asked for the use of a room for a meeting of the Field 

 Naturalists' Club, he found it necessary to explain away the idea 

 that it was an organization for promoting prize fights, or some- 

 thing of a like character. 



" The meeting was held at the Town Hall, and the Argus of 

 the following day duly recorded a fine series of exhibits by Dr. 

 Lucas, Messrs. French, Best, J. F. Bailey, D. Kershaw, and 

 others, and Mr. French promised the first part of his series of 

 papers on Victorian ferns for the next meeting. The rest of the 

 meetings for that year were held at the Temperance Hall, in 

 Russell-street, in a back room, up several flights of stairs, and, 

 considering everything, were fairly attended. 



"The same month (June, 1880) saw the establishment of a 



