1 



THE 



Victorian *$atxxvali&t+ 



Vol. VII.— No. 1. MAY, 1890. No. 77. 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIELD NATURALISTS' 

 CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



ANNUAL ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT, C. A. 

 TOPP, Esq., M.A., LL.B., F.L.S. 



Ladies and Gentlemen, — 



It is my pleasant duty as president of the Club to deliver the 

 customary annual epitome of our proceedings during the past — 

 the tenth — year of our existence. 



Though the number of new members enrolled during the 

 year is not (as I am informed) quite so large as in some previous 

 years, and the papers read have not been so numerous, I believe 

 I am justified in saying that our prosperity as a club for encourag- 

 ing the study of natural history is well maintained. 



During the year we have to regret the loss of two valued 

 members. The one, the Rev. J. E. Tenison-Woods, whose name 

 is widely known not only throughout Australia, but in the whole 

 scientific world, was an honorary member of this society, and so 

 lately as last year contributed two papers on the geology of 

 Arnhem's Land. For several years Mr. Tenison-Woods was 

 stationed in the Mount Gambier district, and travelled over the 

 country adjacent to the western boundary of our colony, and 

 visited the Wes'ern District of Victoria. His "Geological 

 Observations in South Australia " gives a graphic description and 

 luminous explanation of the main geological features of that 

 portion of Australia, and should be in the knapsack or portmanteau 

 of every visitor to Mount Gambier. Mr. Tenison-Woods 

 contributed papers on various occasions to our Royal Society, 

 including one 'on some tertiary deposits at Portland Bay, another 

 on the glacial period in Victoria, and I believe delivered one or 

 two public lectures at Portland. He was an untiring worker in 

 various branches of natural history, and possessed the power of 

 writing clearly and picturesquely. He died at the comparatively 

 early age of 57, his health having been probably undermined by 

 the hardships to which he had been exposed in his frequent 

 journeys. The other member whose loss we have to deplore, Mr. 

 Henry Watts, was one of our oldest members, a vice-president, and 

 a constant attendant and exhibitor at our meetings. Mr. Watts 

 was an indefatigable microscopical student, and took a special 

 interest in the minute forms of algse, and his excellent slides 

 have frequently afforded pleasure to visitors and members of the 



