68 TH£ VICTORIAN NATtJllALlsT. 



The fourth annual report {V.N., i., 47), presented in May, 

 1884, records an important step taken during the year. The 

 aS*. S. Record had gradually been falling into arrears, principally 

 from lack of monetary support, and the committee, recognizing 

 that the only way to keep the members in touch with one 

 another, and with workers in other lands, was by means of the 

 printing press, decided to strike out on their own, and in January, 

 1884, issued the first number of your journal, which, as the 

 Victorian Naturalist, is now known all over the world. At first 

 it was naturally of humble pretensions, but it appeared regularly, 

 and, gaining strength with age, has passed its majority, the part 

 issued last week bearing the consecutive number 270, equal to 

 twenty-two years and six months. The report gave the number 

 of members at 175, thirty papers had been read, and the credit 

 balance had increased to nearly ;^i8 — this in spite of the fact 

 that the conversaziones in those days were free by invitation, but 

 then the expenses connected therewith were very much less than 

 the Club has had to meet in recent years. The usual conversazione 

 was held on 30th April, 1884, when Dr. Dobson delivered a 

 memorable address, for in it {V.N., i., 35), as a botanist of no 

 mean standing, he deplored the want of a handy work on Vic- 

 torian plants, which would enable the field worker to gain some idea 

 of his collections, and suggested the dichotomous plan, after the 

 style of Spicer's ' Handbook to the Plants of Tasmania,' with 

 which, as a Tasmanian, he was familiar. From his position in 

 Parliament he was able to urge the production of such a work by 

 the Government Botanist, and, much against his will, Baron von 

 Mueller undertook the task, and, notwithstanding his other 

 departmental work and immense correspondence, with the help of 

 his assistant, our late friend, Mr. J. G. Luehmann, issued the ' Key 

 to Victorian Plants,' which in many hands has proved more of a 

 stumbling block than a help in elucidating the plants they had 

 collected, and the opening still exists for a clear and concise 

 work on the plants of Victoria. Dr. Dobson appealed to his 

 predecessor. Prof. M'Coy, for hints as to future work, and his 

 reply {V.N., i., 40), with his usual keen foresight, points out the 

 importance of making investigations on scale-insects, galls, &c., 

 such as are now being carried out by our Government Entom- 

 ologist. The lecturettes were given by Mr. C. A. Topp, M.A., 

 entitled ' The Biography of the Cape Weed,' and by Mr. A. H. 

 S. Lucas, on ' Common Objects of the Sea Shore.' 



" 1884-5. — At the annual meeting in May, 1884, the Rev. J. J. 

 Halley, who as vice-president had been a popular office-bearer, 

 was elected president, and perhaps fortunately, or perhaps un- 

 fortunately for myself, I was persuaded to attempt to carry on 

 Mr. Best's good work. Being young and inexperienced, I felt 

 dubious about accepting such a responsibility, but my friend Mr. 



