THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



specimens of insectivorous birds, together with their eggs, so 

 arranged that any person may see at a glance the particular birds 

 which it is desirable to protect ; a series of charts in schools, 

 which would enable children to discriminate between those which 

 are useful and those destructive ; and a vigorous administration 

 of the present game laws. Some discussion followed, in which 

 the Rev. J. J. Halley and Mr. G. A. Keartland joined, the former 

 advocating a series of lectures at various centres, with a liberal 

 use of lantern slides, showing not only the birds which should be 

 protected, but also the insects upon which they prey. 



The next paper, contributed by Mr. Nicholas Holtz, dealt with 

 " An Acrid Secretion from the Seeds of a Species of Grevillea." 

 The secretion, which is powerful enough to produce sores the 

 scars of which remain for many months after, is thought to be 

 useful in preserving the seeds from the attacks of cockatoos. 

 Some useful generalizations followed upon the connection existing 

 between the fruits of different species of the eucalyptus and the 

 beaks of cockatoos, special deductions being made as to 

 variations which must have proved useful in developing present 

 forms. 



Some interesting natural history notes were communicated to 

 the club. Mr. A. J. Campbell sent one on the " Occurrence of the 

 Comb-crested Parra in Victoria," Mr. E. H. Hennell on " How 

 Flies Die," &c., Mr. G. Lyell, jun., on "The Impaling of Butter- 

 flies on Thistles," and Mr. G. Renner on "The Earthworm" and 

 " A New Potato Disease." 



The hon. librarian reported the following additions to the 

 library : — " Quarterly Mining Reports issued by the Victorian 

 Government," December, 18903 "Proceedings of the Australian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science," vol. ii. ; "Proceed- 

 ings of the Field Naturalists' Section of the Royal Society of South 

 Australia," 1889-90; "List of Named Insects in the South 

 Australian Museum," third series ; " List of West Australian 

 Birds ;" " Notes on West Australian Oology ;" " Notes on Zoology 

 of Houtman's Abrollos 3" " Proceedings of Minnesota Academy 

 of Natural Scieuce," vol. iii., part i, 1883-6 ; " Proceedings of 

 Boston Society of Natural History," vol. xxiv., parts 2 and 3 ; 

 " Reports from Smithsonian Institution," 1886, part 2 ; 1887, 

 part 2. 



The following is a list of exhibits : — By Mr. F. G. A. Barnard. — 

 Rare Wood-feeding Moth (genus Hepialus), from Dandenong 

 Ranges. By Mr. A. Coles. — A Blackfish (mounted), from River 

 Tarwin. By Mr. J. E. Dixon. — Rare spiders' cocoons (three 

 varieties), from Oakleigh. By Rev. W, Fielder. — Hydra (brown 

 variety) and freshwater Polyzoa, from St. Kilda. By Mr. C. 

 French, sen. — Specimen of Wild Turkey and eggs (in illustration 



