130 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXIII. 



berg, Continuation School, Melbourne, Master Percival Weldon, 

 and Master W. R. W. Purves, " Glenronald," Domain-road, South 

 Yarra, were elected as junior members of the Club. 



PAPERS. 



In consequence of the annual exhibition of wild flowers, no 

 papers were submitted for reading ; instead of which, Prof. A. J. 

 Ewart, D.Sc, Government Botanist, delivered a lecturette, illus- 

 trated with lantern views, entitled "The Mechanism of Flowers." 

 In a brief and simple manner the lecturer pointed out that plants 

 produced flowers in order to propagate the species, and that 

 many different plans existed in the plant world for conveying 

 the pollen from the stamen to the stigma, and so causing 

 fertilization. He took for examples a wind-fertilized flower, such 

 as a grass ; the water plant Vallisneria ; and insect-fertilized 

 flowers, such as the Salvias, Orchids, &c., and demonstrated 

 how the fertilization was effected in each case. The lecturer 

 mentioned that little had yet been done in the study of Aus- 

 tralian insect-fertilized flowers, and that there was a large field 

 open for the patient investigator. 



EXHIBITS. 



The exhibits of the evening consisted almost entirely of wild 

 flowers. The following were the principal exhibitors : — 



By Mr. J. W. Audas. — About 15 species from Sandringham, 

 including Pultencea dentata. 



By Miss Bage. — About 40 species from Sandringham, including 

 Isopogon ceratophyllum, Thelymitra antennifera, &c., also the 

 phosphorescent fungus, Pleurotus candescens, collected by Miss 

 Rees at Sandringham. 



By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — A fine spike of the orchid Den- 

 drobium speciosum, grown at Kew. 



By Messrs. Barnard and Haase. — About 10 species from 

 Belgrave and Sassafras (Dandenong Ranges), including Pittos- 

 porum bicolor, Zieria smithii, Acacia leprosa, and Pferostylis 

 cucidlata, var. alpina. 



By Mr. A. J. Campbell. — About 25 species from Nhill, 

 including Lasiopetalum behrii and Acacia salicina. 



By Miss Cochrane. — About 30 species from Ringwood, 

 including Pterostylis nana, Caladenia suaveolens, Diuris macu- 

 lata, Prasophyllum elatum, Utricularia dichotoma, Polypompholyx 

 tenella, &c. 



By Mr. G. Coghill. — About 50 species from Tunstall and 

 Launching Place, including fine specimens in good condition of 

 Aster stellulatus, Daviesia lati/olia, Ranunculus lappaceus, &c. 



By Mr. St. E. D'Alton. — About 25 species from Dimboola, 

 including Acacia rigens, A. calamifolia, A. brachyhotrya, Eremo- 



