OF THE AUSTRALIAN MEETING. 717 
Probably the communication to the Anthropological Section which 
will be regarded as of greatest scientific importance was the exposition 
by Professors David and Wilson, at Sydney, of the highly mineralised 
skull of an Australian man, probably of Pleistocene date. This skull, 
which shows certain features in common with that of the Sussex Pilt- 
down skull, was found some thirty years ago on the Darling Downs, and 
Professor David was fortunately able, on an excursion subsequent to 
the Meeting, to find the original discoverer of the skull and obtain exact 
particulars as to the locality and mode of occurrence. 
Opportunities were given wherever possible to allow the anthro- 
pologists to see for themselves the aborigines and their craftsmanship. 
Thus, from Adelaide, under the guidance of Professor Stirling, a party 
went to Milang on Lake Alexandrina to inspect a number of men, 
women, and children from the Mission Station, including some full- 
blooded aborigines. These gave displays of dancing, boomerang- 
throwing, hut-building, and basket-making, and some of the party 
collected information in regard to cat’s-cradle games and native 
genealogies. 
The anthropological collections in the Museums at Melbourne, 
Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Perth were naturally of great interest, 
and under the guidance of the curators and other local anthropologists 
there were important discussions and critical examination of specimens 
by experts, which will doubtless lead to further research. 
In the Melbourne Museum the magnificent collections of Australian 
stone implements, especially brought together for the occasion by 
Messrs. Kenyon and Mahony, as well as the ceremonial objects collected 
by Professor Spencer, were on exhibition during the meeting, and were 
the subject of careful examination and discussion. Much of the more 
productive scientific work of the anthropologists naturally consisted in 
informal conferences with the local workers, and it was hoped that as 
one of the results of such consultations it might be possible to obtain 
from the Federal Government the assistance which is necessary for the 
prosecution of further research in the fast-disappearing cultural anthro. 
pology of the tribes in the Northern Territory. 
Field-work naturally played a large part in the botanical pro- 
gramme. At Perth an extended expedition to Albany, lasting for the 
greater part of a week, gave opportunities for studying the characteristic 
vegetation of the arid districts of Western Australia. From Adelaide 
there were three important excursions arranged specially for botanical 
work—one to study the Salicornia Scrub and the mangrove swamps 
of the coastal region, one to the Mount Lofty Range to see the fern 
gullies and the scrub of the higher levels, and the third to Mannum. 
The botanical excursions from Melbourne arranged by Professor 
Ewart included one to Emerald for the fern gullies, while a smaller 
party went on to visit Dr. MacArthur’s station to inspect the methods 
of orchard planting. Another party was taken to Warburton to inspect 
a characteristic ‘ big-tree ’ region and study the ecology of the district. 
From Sydney, in addition to the excursions to the Blue Mountains 
and to the Jenolan Caves district, of great interest to botanists as well 
as geologists, there were a number of smaller informal excursions under 
