THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 67 



The ordinary meeting of the Club was held in the Royal Society's 

 Hall on Monday evening, loth August. Professor W. Baldwin 

 Spencer was in the chair, and there was a good attendance of 

 members and friends. 



librarian's report. 



The hon. librarian reported the following additions to the 

 library : — " Proceedings of Academy of Natural Science, Phila- 

 delphia," part ii., April-September, 1890 ; " Journal of Bombay 

 Natural History Society," vL, part i; "Transactions of Royal 

 Society, South Australia," xiv., i ; "Journal of Pharmacy," for 

 July, 1891. 



ELECTION OF MEMBERS. 



The usual ballot for new members then took place, the follow- 

 ing gentlemen being elected : — Messrs. J. H. Craig, jun., B. 

 Eugene, F. Gladish, H. A. Lamble, F. Marsh, J. Mitchell, and 

 N. T. Wilsmore, B.Sc. 



NATURAL HISTORY NOTES. 



Dr. A. Dendy, F.L.S., read a very interesting note on the 

 "Mode of Reproduction of Peripatus Leuckartii." Last May Dr. 

 Dendy obtained three specimens of this species from Macedon, 

 and kept them, in company with one from another district, in a 

 small vivarium, and at the end of July some 12 or 15 eggs were 

 laid. These eggs were easily seen, being fairly large, oval in 

 shape, and covered with a tough, thick, elastic membrane. 

 Microscopic examination of one of them showed that the mem- 

 brane enclosed a thick, milky fluid, full of yolk granules, the 

 enclosing case being exquisitely sculptured in a regular design. 

 This sculpturing is characteristic of many insect eggs, which 

 renders it especially interesting as bearing upon the relationship 

 of Peripatus. This discovery is of importance, as in all other 

 species whose life history is known, the viviparous habit — where 

 the young are born alive — is one of the most remarkable 

 characters of the genus. Judging from the experience of Mr. 

 Fletcher, of Sydney, the eggs may be expected to hatch out some 

 time in October. Mr. Fletcher obtained specimens of this species 

 some three years ago, and kept a female from June to October in 

 damp moss and leaves. Just before its death four young ones 

 appeared, and he naturally concluded that they had been born 

 alive. It is extremely probable, however, that eggs were laid, 

 and that they escaped notice owing to the nature of the material 

 in which they were deposited. 



PRACTICAL WORK WITH THE MICROSCOPE. 



An innovation, in place of the usual reading of papers, was in- 

 troduced in the shape of some practical work with the micro- 

 scope. Professor Spencer introduced this work by an address 



