132 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST 



(Caleya minor), new for Victoria, By Mr. D. Le Souef. — Nest 

 and egg of Rifle Bird ( PtilorJiis Victorice), birds' eggs, shells, and 

 many specimens, in illustration of paper. By Mr. T. Steel. — 

 Eight species of freshwater Ostracoda, collected at Willesmere. 

 By Mr. G. Sweet. — Pebbles, probably glaciated, from Myrniong ; 

 also glaciated pebble from near Lake Wakatipu, New Zealand. 



THE WILD FLOWER EXHIBITS. 



The committee of the Club had determined this year not to 

 set apart a special evening for an exhibition of wild flowers, as 

 has been the custom for some years past, but to ask members to 

 contribute exhibits of that cla^s at the monthly meetings in 

 October and November, so that the exhibits might embrace both 

 the early and late spring flowers. The result of this change was 

 entirely satisfactory, and a large display of our native flora, both 

 from the vicinity of Melbourne and the more distant parts of the 

 colony, was made, owing to the energies of the patron of the 

 Club, Baron F. von Mueller, K.C.M.G., Government Botanist, 

 and other members. 



The exhibits at the October meeting were the more numerous, 

 and, in fact, exceeded the expectations of the committee, 

 completely filling the smaller room at the Royal Society's Hall, 

 and a portion of the large room. At this meeting Baron F. von 

 Mueller exhibited a large number of flowers, principally from the 

 Beechworth district, containing many handsome species. These 

 were staged in large bunches in ornamental jars, and were 

 sesthetically very effective, though it prevented the naming of 

 individual flowers, as has usually been the plan. The centre 

 table was occupied by Mr. G. Coghill with the results of a 

 special trip to Hall's Gap, in the Grampians, distant some 170 

 miles from town, where, thanks to the kindness of the Messrs. 

 D'Alton, he succeeded in getting together a splendid collection 

 of wild flowers, the greater number of which were previously 

 unknown to the Club's exhibitions. Among these may be 

 mentioned the lovely Boronias, B. jminata and £. pilosa ; the 

 rare Eriostemon, S. hillebrandi ; several Styphelias, including the 

 large red S. sonderi and the whitish-fringed S. adscendens; 

 Pidtenea scahra, with its dentated leaves ; Prostanthera rotundi- 

 folia, Bauera sessilijlora, Lhotzkya genetylloides, Calycothrix 

 sullivani, all in large quantities ; also. Eucalyptus alpina, the 

 pretty Kunzea parvrfolia, Thryptomene mitchelliana ; the rather 

 uncommon plants, Phyllanthus thymoides and Pseudanthus 

 ovaUfolius ; the curious Conospermum mitchelli, with its small 

 white and black flowers. Among the Grevilleas was G. cBqui- 

 folia, and amongst the Rhamnacefe the rare Cryptandra 



