74 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



2. Mr. A. J. Campbell read a paper, "Notes on Dr. Ram- 

 say's List of Australian Birds" in which he pointed out a num- 

 ber of inaccuracies in this list, and brought forward evidence of 

 new localities for several species mentioned. The paper gave 

 rise to considerable discussion, which in the main supported 

 the author. 



3. Mr. D. Best read a paper entitled " Some Recollections of 

 my Residence in North-West Australia, by a Non-naturalist." 

 The notes referred principally to the habits and customs of the 

 aborigines, with some remarks on the fauna of the district, and 

 excited considerable interest. 



The principal exhibits of the evening were .• — By Mr. F. G. 

 A. Barnard, shale containing fossil portions of fern fronds, from 

 the Hawkesbury sandstones at Wooloomooloo Bay, N.S.W. 

 By Mr. A. J. Campbell, the grass owl ( Strix Candida), new to 

 Victoria ; Platycercus pennantii var. 7iigrescens, Ramsay, from 

 Rockingham Bay, and other birds in illustration of his 

 paper. By Mr. H. B. Coles, birds from Cape York. By 

 Mr. A. Coles, a pair of young emus and a pair of young 

 Australian coots. By Mr. E. M. Cornwall, mounted specimens 

 of the delicate owl {^Strlx delicatula), the musk lorikeet {Tricho- 

 glossus concinmis), and the spur-winged plover {Lohivanellus 

 lohatus). By Mr. C. French, jun., a delicate owl. By IMr. J. 

 T. Gillespie, eggs of the little c\\i\iO\\\Q.o\z.{JJhthonicolasagitiata), 

 and scarlet-breasted robin {Feirceca multicoh?-). Ey Mr. G. A. 

 Keartland, a pair of avocets and a white-winged chough. By 

 Baron F. von Mueller, a new plant {Catidollea MerraUii) from 

 Western Australia. By Mr. J. Searle, fungi, lichens, etc., 

 collected at Box Hill excursion. By Mr. A. Yelland, various 

 cocoons and nests of insects, crystals from basalt, etc. 



After the usual conversazione the meeting terminated. 



DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW WEST- AUSTRALIAN 

 PLANTS ; 

 By Baron von Mueller, K.C.M.G., M. «Sr Ph.D., F.R.S. 

 Ptilotus Carlsoni. 



Diffuse or prostrate ; stems leafy throughout, short, laxe, often 

 ilexuous, beset with mostly appressed and straight hairlets ; 

 radical leaves from spatular-to elliptical-cuneate ; stem-leaves 

 smaller, generally lanceolate-linear, much narrowed downward, 

 all flat and nearly glabrous or soon glabrescent ; spikes terminal, 

 solitary, capitular, but all the flowers fascicularly verging 

 upwards ; bracts lanceolar, dark-coloured, hardly half as long as 

 the sepals, bracteoles of the length and form of the bracts, but 

 •colourless, transparent ; sepals from the middle upwards glabrous 

 and bright-yellow, at the summit very blunt and minutely den- 

 ticulated 3 the hairlets of their basal inside vestiture straight ; 



