60 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



members, Mr. A. H. S. Lucas, in which four new species of fish 

 found in Victorian waters are described and figured. To those of 

 our members who take an interest in geology, the paper by 

 Mr, John Dennant, F.G.S. (another of our members), on 

 Miocene strata and the older Tertiary, near Bairnsdale, may be 

 commended. 



Entomological papers are entirely absent from the proceedings 

 of our Royal Society ; but those of us who take an interest in 

 this department of biology will find abundant material recorded 

 in the " Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South 

 Wales," for the past year. These contain " Studies in Australian 

 Entomology," by a former member, Mr. T. G. Sloane. Mr. 

 F. A. A. Skuse continues his monograph on Australian Diptero, 

 and Mr. Miskin and Mr. Meyrick contribute papers dealing with 

 certain sections of the Lepidoptera. Mr. Olliff and Mr. Black- 

 burn continue their papers on the Coleoptera, and Mr. Froggatt 

 commences a catalogue of Australian Hymenoptera. 



It is satisfactory to learn, from the annual report of the Mining 

 Department just issued, that arrangements have now been made 

 for a continuance of a systematic geological survey of the colony. 

 The fact that so excellent a geologist as Mr. A. W, Howitt is 

 now the head of the Mining Department is a guarantee that 

 this work, so desirable both from a scientific and practical point 

 of view, will be thoroughly and exactly carried out. 



As of interest to naturalists I may make reference to two ex- 

 plorations which it may be hoped before long will give results 

 of great scientific interest. The one — that organized by the 

 liberality of Sir Thomas Elder — will, it may confidently be ex- 

 pected, render more complete our knowledge of the geology, 

 meteorology, fauna and flora of a considerable extent of the 

 interior of this continent, which has not yet been carefully and 

 systematically examined, and a large portion of which has not 

 yet been traversed. The other — of larger importance, greater 

 magnitude, and appealing more strongly to the imagination — 

 the proposed Antarctic exploration, under Baron von Nordens- 

 kiold's leadership, is yet only in the preparatory stage, but the 

 interest in it felt by naturalists will be naturally so keen that I 

 cannot do better than conclude this address by giving some in- 

 formation in regard to the progress made up to this date in the 

 organization of this great undertaking — information which I 

 give on the authority and by the courtesy of Baron von Mueller, 

 who has been and is exerting himself untiringly in furthering this 

 work. Baron von Mueller states that the progress of arrrange- 

 ments for renewed South Polar exploration has been continued 

 with more and more success, chiefly through the exertions of the 

 Antarctic Committee. In the other colonies also a vivid interest 

 in this long-deferred but promising object is evinced. The 



