“156 Proceedings. 
B. Clarke, A.M., F.G.S., &c., of Sydney, for the Society; and drew _ 
attention to such of the statements as more particularly concerned 
this territory,—and a lengthened conversation followed, in which 
most of the members present took part. 
Mr. Dobson, of the High School, submitted for examination a 
small fish caught in Carnelian Bay. It is about four inches in 
length, with a short stiff-pointed snout serrated laterally, rather 
large eyes; the head, thorax, and belly flattened horizontally, and 
covered with plates instead of scales, beneath a skin-like integument ; 
a remarkably elongated fin projecting from either side near the 
head; the tail long, imbricated, and tapering to a point. 
The Secretary mentioned a reported discovery of quicksilver on 
the property of Mr. Allwright, at Broad Marsh, and stated that, as 
large quantities of mercury in the metallic state have often been 
taken to their homesteads by sheep-owners, such discoveries in 
situations geologically unsuited to the production of metallic minerals 
are to be received with caution, however well authenticated. 
The Secretary read the following extracts from letters by Mr. R. 
C. Gunn, on various interesting occurrences connected with the 
natural history of Tasmania :— 
“Having girdled trees on some hundreds of acres of land on the St. 
Patrick’s River, the Barito organicum now visits the farm, and the Native Hen 
is becoming abundant; both birds having been formerly unknown in that 
locality. Why, or how, the Native Hen has migrated thither I cannot say, 
as it cannot Sy; and I should have presumed the clearing would not have 
sufficiently influenced it.” 
‘The decaying trees are of course full of grubs, and the black cockatoos are 
there daily within a few yards of the house, tearing off the bark with their 
powerful bills. In pulling off the bark they bend their heads over so as to lay 
hold on the under side of the branches, and then pull upwards, standing quite 
vertical the while: one would sometimes fancy they must topple over.” 
“20th July.—A domestic cat at the St. Patrick’s River is in the habit of 
bringing to the house numerous small animals from the bush: during the last 
few weeks it has caught about four dozen specimens of Antechinus Swainsoniz or 
affinis(I am uncertain which)—the Antechinus leucopus, Mus penicillatus? and 
another Mus, with long legs, upon which it probably hops like a kangaroo, 
and which 1 cannot find in any List of the Mammals of Tasmania. All the 
specimens of Antechinus are males. Can they be thus caught whilst roving in 
search of the females? or why is it that males only are caught? Cats seem 
frequently to catch these small quadrupeds, but rarely to eat them.” 
“Whilst the North Esk was flooded last week, a mountain duck ( Casarca 
