72' THE VICTOKIAN NATUBALIST. 



second to a then almost unknown region, the Yarra Falls (V.N., 

 vii., 157) ; and to show how recent has been the adaptation of 

 the camera and the lantern to the illustrating of papers, it may be 

 mentioned that these trips were the first so illustrated. Process 

 engraving was still almost prohibitive in price, so the Yarra Falls 

 trip in the N'aturalist ior March, 1891, was illustrated with photo- 

 graphic prints. A conversazione was held in the Athenaeum 

 in May, 1891, when the president, Mr. C. A. Topp, gave an 

 address (V.^., viii., 55), and series of lantern sHdes, illustrating 

 the Yarra Falls and Kent Group trips, also a visit to Mt. 

 Wellington, North Gippsland, by Messrs. Howitt, Dendy, and 

 Lucas, were exhibited. 



" 1891-2. — Prof. Spencer was elected president for the year, 

 and the secretarial duties were in the hands of Mr. D. Le Souef 

 and Rev. W. Fielder, who took the place of Mr. J. S. Hart in 

 December, 1890. The report, the last of those published as 

 separate pamphlets, and epitomized in the Naturalist (ix., 

 45), records an increased members' roll, viz., 235 ; twenty- 

 seven papers were read. The finances were somewhat strained, 

 owing to the locking up of some ;^68 by the failure of 

 the Metropolitan Bank. In November, 1891, a "camp-out" 

 was held in the Grampians {V.N., viii., 181). An attempt was 

 made to encourage natural history among school children by 

 offering prizes for certain collections, with fair results. 



'* 1892-3. — Under the presidentship of Prof. Spencer, with 

 Rev. W. Fielder as hon. secretary, the members' roll showed a 

 slight decrease {V.N., x., 39). Twenty-six papers were read, 

 whilst the real credit balance was reduced to about ;^2o. Owing 

 to lack of funds the proposed conversazione had to be postponed. 

 The Club suffered a loss in the departure of Mr. A. H. S. Lucas 

 to Sydney, thus rendering it necessary to seek a new editor for 

 the Naturalist. I happened to be the unfortunate victim, and 

 up to the present time have not succeeded in passing on the 

 work to somebody else. Mr. Lucas was the recipient of a pre- 

 sentation, and was elected an hon. member, in recognition of his 

 services for nearly nine years. Baron von Mueller, in his usual 

 happy style, presented the prizes to the successful junior ex- 

 hibitors of natural history specimens {V.N., x., 39). 



*' 1893-4.— Mr. H. T. Tisdall was elected president, with 

 Mr. Fielder as hon. secretary till January, 1894, when Mr. H. 

 P. C Ashworth took up the position. The report {V.N., xi., 47) 

 shows that the Club was feeling the general depression then 

 existing. Membership remained about the same, but subscrip- 

 tions came in poorly, and so much of the funds being locked up 

 in suspended banks necessitated careful husbanding of the 

 revenue. Only nineteen papers were read. An excursion was 



