THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



South Wales — a subject which needs working out in this colony, 

 and which may be commended to those of our members who 

 desire a comparatively fresh field in botany. To Mr. E. D. 

 Atkinson, C.E , another honorary member, we are indebted for a 

 very interesting account of a trip to the islands of Western Bass 

 Straits. 



Mr. H. T. Tisdall, F.L.S., has contributed a descriptive paper 

 on the fungi to be found around Melbourne, which should be of 

 service to young botanists who wish to have some knowledge of 

 this interesting division of plant life, and he has also given a 

 pleasantly written descriptive sketch of a winter journey in the 

 mountains. Mr. A. J. Campbell usefully brought under the 

 notice of members of the Club the variety of edible fish brought 

 to the Melbourne market. He has also given a short, account of 

 Maiden Island, with a description of the birds that frequent it. 



The most noteworthy event of the past year to us was the meet- 

 ing, in the month of January this year, of the Australasian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science, in Melbourne. We 

 may take some pride in the fact that our honoured patron, 

 Baron Ferd. von Mueller, was president; that the general secretary 

 to the association, Professor Spencer, to whose organizing 

 ability and untiring industry the great success of the meeting 

 was so largely due, is one of our most valued members ; that 

 half of the papers read in the Biological Section were contributed 

 by members of the Club ; and that the only paper read by a 

 lady at the association was one on the diseases of plants by Mrs. 

 Martin, so well known to her fellow-members of this Club for her 

 interest in fungology. The very respectable attendance at the 

 meetings of the Biological Section may be regarded as satisfactory 

 evidence of an increased attention to the study of natural history. 

 A striking evidence of the growing interest in that side of natural 

 history which it is the special province of our Club to develop, 

 was afforded by the large numbers who joined most of the ex- 

 cursions to places of scientific interest. The little handbook of 

 the geology, flora and fauna, meteorology, &c, of Victoria, which 

 was published, will, I think, supply a want which is much felt, 

 not only by visitors to the colony, but by our own young people 

 when they begin to take an interest in the physiography of their 

 country, and it is worth consideration whether an enlarged edition 

 might not be published for general circulation. 



During the past year there have been many valuable additions 

 made to our knowledge of Australian natural history. Within 

 the last twelve months Baron von Mueller has published a new 

 edition of his "Census of Australian Plants," in which, besides 

 adding to the list of species and localities, he has indicated 

 the general regional distribution throughout the world of each 

 species ; this information cannot but prove of great value in con- 



