^Q THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



Field Naturalists' Club at Geelong, which has had perhaps 

 a more chequered existence than ours, but during the last two 

 years has made itself famous by the Nature Study Exhibitions it 

 has so successfully organized. 



"In December, 1880, was issued the first number of the 

 periodical previously mentioned— the Southern Science Record — 

 enthusiastically promoted by a member of the committee, Mr. J. 

 Wing, a printer by trade, and in the first volume will be found 

 more details than I have time to give you to-night of the first 

 year of the Club. 



"The first annual meeting was held on the 9th May, t88i, 

 when a very satisfactory report was presented {S.S.E., i,, 99). 

 Ninety-one members had been enrolled, twenty-three papers had 

 been read, and there was a credit balance of over ^$. Many of 

 the papers were published in the first volume of the S. S. Record, 

 but the majority never appeared in print. 



"On the 17th of the same month the first conversazione was 

 held in the Royal Society's Hall, kindly placed at our disposal by 

 the council. The president, Prof. M'Coy, F.G.S., delivered one 

 of those elegant addresses (S.S.R., i., 102) for which he was 

 famous, in which he reviewed the doings of the past year, and 

 offered'good advice as to directions for future work. Lecturettes 

 were delivered by the Rev. J. J. Halley, on ' The Protozoa ; ' 

 by Mr. H. Watts, on ' Seaweeds ; ' and by Dr. Lucas, on 

 ' Insects,' and it is needless to say there was a fine display of 

 natural history specimens. 



" 1881-2. — It would take up too much time and space to 

 record all the ofiice-bearers of each year, so I will content myself 

 with mentioning the president and hon. secretary, unless there 

 is some special reason for a departure from this rule. At the 

 first annual meeting an addition to the office-bearers was made, a 

 librarian being added, owing to the receipt of numerous Govern- 

 ment and other publications, which required the care of a 

 custodian, Mr. H. Watts being the first occupant of the office. 

 The most notable event during the year was the tendering of a 

 social evening, on 29th July, 1881, to one of the vice-presidents, 

 the Rev. J. J. Halley, on the eve of his departure for a trip to 

 England, and which was a very successful affair. Baron von 

 Mueller occupied the chair, and in his usual felicitous style wished 

 ban voyage to the guest of the evening. In October the first 

 elementary or practical meeting was held, and was well attended. 

 At the annual meeting in May, 1882 {S.S.R., ii., 132), the com- 

 mittee reported continued progress, a members' roll of 150, 33 

 papers read, and, notwithstanding an expenditure of ^4 on a 

 cupboard for the library, a credit balance of over;!{^i2. I ought 

 to mention that the meeting of August, 1881, was the first held in 

 these rooms, which have been our home ever since. The second 



