408 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol.XlV 



EXHIBITS. 



A large Sword Fish (^Histiophorus sp."), presented by Mr. C, J. I. Jones, 

 R.I.M., was exhibited. It was captured off the Laccadive Islands and 

 measured 9ft. llin. in length and lOOlbs, in weight. Some excellent photo- 

 graphs showing the rapidity of growth of Ficus conUfolia on a mango tree 

 were exhibited by Colonel St. G-. Gore, R.E., of Dehra Dun. 



PAPERS READ. 



The following papers were then read : " Note on the habits of the Banded 

 Crake {Rallina superciliaris) and the Malay Bittern (Gorsachms melanolo- 

 2)hus),'' by T, R. Bell, I.F.S. ; " Notes on some Nepenthes and other new stove 

 plants introducedfinto Bombay," by "W, S. Millard ; " Miscellaneous notes on 

 Birds' nesting round Poona anfl elsewhere," by Major E. M. Betham, 



Dr. MACDONALD'S RETIREMENT. 



Mr. Aitken then asked permission to say a few words about the chairman 

 who was very shortly to leave, and would probably never be present again 

 at a meeting of the Society. He said that probably few of those present 

 knew the real origin of the Bombay Natural History Society, or had any idea 

 that Dr. MacDonald was the /o?zs et origo of the whole thing. But such was 

 the fact. It was early in 1883 that Dr. MacDonald suggested that it would 

 be an excellent thing to form a Society for the study of Natural History 

 Dr. Maconachie told the speaker, who welcomed the suggestion, and with the 

 view of translating suggestion into fact, asked Dr. Maconachie to name a day 

 and place for the first meeting. The result \as that six gentlemen met in 

 the Victoria and Albert Museum and constituted themselves the Bombay 

 Natural History Society. The six were, Dr, Maconachie, Dr. MacDona'd 

 Dr. Atmaram, Mr. J, C, Anderson, Mr. J. Johnston, and the speaker. The 

 membership now was over seven hundred, and of the six original members 

 only Dr, Mac Donald and the speaker were in Bombay this day, Dr, Mac- 

 Donald had been one of their Vice-presidents all through the Society's wonder- 

 ful career. He had often filled the chair at their meetings. He had 

 continuously filled a place in their slender list of office-bearers, and that was 

 a difficult place to fill, as the Secretary knew. He was leaving them at last 

 and the speaker thought they ouglit to remember gratefully his long connec- 

 tion with the fortunes of the Society and wish him a happy time in his own 

 land. 



The proposition was seconded by Mr, Millard and carried by acclamation. 



Dr. MacDonald replied briefly, disowning the credit which Mr. Aitken had 

 given him and thanking the members for their kind thoughts of him. 



A vote of thanks was passed to the donors of the papers, and the meetintr 

 ■then tenninated. 



