THE 



^ictoxian naturalist* 



YoL. YIII.— No. 1. MAY, 1891. No. 89 



FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the above Club was held in 

 the Royal Society's Hall on the 9th February, when there was an 

 unusually full attendance of members and friends. 



In the absence of the president, Professor W. Baldwin Spencer 

 occupied the chair. 



After the minutes of the general meetings of the 8th and 15th 

 December had been confirmed, the Club had a pleasing duty to 

 perform in offering congratulations to two gentlemen intimately 

 connected with it. In fulfilling this duty the Rev. J. J. Halley, 

 in suitable terms, conveyed congratulations to Mr. Arthur Dendy 

 on his obtaining the degree of Doctor of Science from the 

 Victoria University. Ever since his connection with the Club 

 Dr. Dendy has taken the greatest interest in its progress, and has 

 been unsparing in his endeavours to advance the objects for 

 which the Club was founded. Mr. Halley's remarks, therefore, 

 were received with great cordiality, and a resolution suitable to 

 the occasion was carried unanimously. 



Professor Spencer then called attention to the fact that another 

 honour had fallen to one of the patrons of the Club, and proposed 

 that congratulations should be transmitted to Professor M'Coy 

 upon the distinction lately conferred upon him by Her Majesty 

 the Queen. There are only some six or seven biological knights, 

 and it is a fact worthy of note that the Field Naturalists' Club of 

 Victoria can lay claim to two of that limited number in the 

 persons of its two science patrons. The proposition naturally 

 was received and carried with acclamation. 



The usual reports of the Club's recent excursions were then 

 received, Mr. D. Le Souef taking charge of that to the Plenty 

 River, whilst that to Macedon was in the hands of Mr. E. 

 Anderson. A good collection of insects were obtained on the 

 former excursion, whilst Macedon furnished a case of butterflies 

 and some seven distinct species of land planarians and a 

 peripatus. 



The real business of the evening, however, now commenced. 

 This was a joint paper contributed by A. Dendy, D.Sc, A. W. 

 Howitt, F.G.S., and A. H. S. Lucas, M.A, B.Sc, on "A Visit to 

 the Mount Wellington District." VVe can only refer in general 

 terms to this most interesting paper, the full text of which will be 

 published in the Nahcralist. The visit was undertaken for the 

 purpose of investigating the problem of the formation of the lake, 



