114 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



REPORTS OF RECENT EXCURSIONS. 



Mr. R. S. Sugars then furnished a report of a recent excursion 

 of the Club to Sassafras Gully. About 30 members visited this 

 somewhat untrodden district, and were thoroughly rewarded by 

 the delightful weather and scenery they experienced. They 

 enjoyed a typical fern-tree gully, before the despoliation and 

 vandalism of the ordinary excursionist has stripped it of its 

 beauty. The inevitable log-rolling for cryptozoic fauna was in- 

 dulged in, and some fine specimens of Peripatus, Nemertine, and 

 Planarian worms were secured. The entomologists obtained a 

 few specimens, and although the botanists, amongst whom we 

 were glad to see our late President, Mr. C. A. Topp, did not 

 find anything new, they met many familiar forms under very 

 flourishing conditions. 



The excursion to Clayton, 31st October, under Mr. E. Ander- 

 son, and that to Tooradin, 9th November, under Mr. C. Frost, 

 fell through owing to unfavourable weather. 



ELECTION OF MEMBERS. 



The usual ballot of new members then took place, and resulted 

 in the election of Professor Elkington and Messrs. W. H. Fer- 

 guson, P. Miller, and W. J. Tiller. 



PAPERS. 



The first paper was contributed by Mr. J. E. Prince, on 

 " Phenology and Rural Biology, as Studies and Aids to Systematic 

 Observation of Natural History." Much speculation had been 

 rife as to the meaning and scope of " Phenology," and it was 

 quite a relief to members to hear it defined as " the observation 

 and recording of facts regarding the principal phases of the life- 

 history of plants, insects, and birds." The introduction to the 

 subject was devoted to proving its utility to the meteorologist, 

 physician, scientific naturalist, agriculturist, and intelligent 

 members of the community generally, and then the writer's 

 remarks fell under the heads periodicity in natural phenomena,, 

 climate, insect pests, and migration of birds, and he concluded 

 by advocating the distribution of schedules, which could be filled 

 up, and much valuable data compiled from them. Mr. J. S. 

 Hart, M.A., B.Sc, criticised with some force some of the prin- 

 ciples laid down in the paper. 



Mr. H. Kendall then read a paper, contributed by a member 

 of the club, on " A Western Forest." Reference was made to the 

 tropical forests of Northern Queensland, and the Victorian forests^ 

 with their giant gums and fern-tree gullies, as compared with the 

 "light, buoyant, and balmy" forests of West Australia. Spring- 

 time was the season chosen for review, and graphic descriptions 



