34 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



On a ballot being taken, Messrs. R. A. Bastow, F.L.S., 

 G. F. Chamberlain, T. S. Hall, J. Lynar, A. C. Macdonald, 

 F.R.G.S., Dr. Nicholson, J. S. Robertson, A. TurnbuU, Rev. E. 

 I. Watkin, D.D., and A. A. Wood were duly elected members 

 of the Club. 



Messrs. P. H. Anderson and D. Best were elected to audit 

 the accounts of the Club for the past year. 



PAPERS READ. 



1. By Mr. C. French, F.L.S., entitled "Zoological Notes 

 from the Wimmera." The author gave an interesting account 

 of the various mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, etc., noticed 

 during a visit to the Lake Albacutya district, in the mallee 

 scrub, nearly 300 miles north-west of Melbourne. The botani- 

 cal observations during the trip were recorded some time ago, 

 and published in the Naturalist for July, 1887. 



2. By Dr. T. S. Ralph, entitled " Some Account of the 

 * Katipo,' or Poisonous Spider of New Zealand." The author 

 described the haunts and habits of the spider, which greatly 

 resembles one found in Victoria — viz., a deep velvety-black 

 species, with a vermilion stripe down the back ; and said it had 

 been known to produce fatal results. He exhibited live speci- 

 mens, also preparations of parts under the microscope. 



The paper gave rise to an interesting discussion relative to 

 the virus of spiders, and Mr. D. M'Alpine drew the attention 

 of the members to a garden spider, which had recently caused 

 him considerable inconvenience, and which he proposed to 

 experiment with as to its poisonous properties. 



The following were the principal exhibits of the evening: — 

 By Mr. C. French, F.L.S., a male and a female copper-headed 

 snake {Hoplocephalus superbus), in illustration of letter in June 

 Naturalist. By Mr. C. Frost, Preiss' blind snake, and a two- 

 hooded Furina from the Murray district. By Mr. R. Hall, 

 Murray turtles {^Chelomys Macquaria), from Lake Boga ; eggs of 

 Murray River crayfish from Swan Hill ; hornet's nests from Lake 

 Boga. By Mr. J. E. Prince, sponges from Airey's Inlet, near 

 Cape Otway. By Mrs. J. Simson, Capparis nobilis and other 

 plants from New South Wales. By Rev. F. R. M. Wilson, seven 

 new Victorian lichens — viz., Obryzum jnyiiopus (sp. nov.) 

 Wilson, Trachylia cojicreta (sp. nov.) Wilson, Go77iphillus 

 baoniyceoides (sp. nov.) Wilson, Pilophoroti co7iglo77ieraiuvi (sp. 

 nov.) Wilson, BlasteTiia cocci7iea (sp. nov.) C. Knight, A/ihottia 

 fusco-rufa (sp. nov.) C. Knight, and Trypethclium fumosa- 

 cinereu7n (sp. nov.) C. Knight ; and two from Queensland — viz., 

 Biatori7iopsis versicolor (sp. nov.) Wilson, and Amphiloma 

 glaucesce7ts (sp. nov.) Wilson. 



After the usual cotiversazione the meeting terminated. 



