310 Proceedings. 
Mr. Milligan made the following remarks upon the habits of the Wombat, 
the Hyzena, and certain reptiles. 
Wombat, (Phascolomys Vombatus)—“ The aborigines of Tasmania state 
that, though this animal often crosses streams of water, it never does so by 
swimming, however deep they may be; but thatit walks along the bottom 
of the water channel from the side at which it enters to that where it 
emerges.” 
Hyena, (Thylacinus cynocephalus)—“ The aborigines report that this 
animal is a most powerful swimmer; that in swimming he carries his tail 
extended, moving it as the dog often does, and that the nose, eyes, and 
upper portion of the head are the only parts usually seen above water.” 
Snakes.—“ The aborigines inform me that snakes often climb lofty trees 
in order to plunder the nests of parrakeets and feed upon their young; 
and that when disturbed they drop from a great height, and move 
off apparently uninjured by the fall. They say that snakes often feed, and 
even gorge, themselves upon the fruit, (when dead ripe), of the native 
currant tree, (Lencopogon gnidium), a shrub which is very plentiful upon 
the sand hills by the sea side, upon which snakes are well known to 
abound.” 
“ The aborigines describe a tail-less snake, whose bite is, they say, most 
deadly, as existing sparingly on the main land, and more plentifully on 
some of the islands in‘ Bass’s Strait,—for instance, upon Cape Barren and 
Flinder’s Islands.” 
The Auroral lights, which were visible here from ten to nearly half:past 
eleven o’clock on the evening of the 11th ultimo, became subject of 
discussion ; and a short notice from the Ed. New Phil. Journal was read, 
attributing all the phenomena of the Auroral arch and clouds, the pulsation, 
the rushing pencils and beams, &c., &c., to luminous electric discharges 
polarizing watery particles in the upper regions of the atmosphere, and 
causing deflections in the angles of the crystals, which would variously 
yefract and reflect the rays of light, &c. 
After having passed a vote of thanks to His Excellency Sir W. T. Denison, 
President, and to the other persons who made presentations and commuti- 
cations to the Society, the members separated. 
22np Manrcr, 1852.—Monthly meeting; His Excellency Sir William 
Denison, President, in the chair. 
The following gentlemen having been proposed and ballotted for were 
declared duly elected into the Society :—R. Q. Kermode, Esq., of Mona 
Vale, M.L.C.; William Birch, Esq., of Launceston; J. W. Gleadow, Esq., 
of Launceston, M.L.C. 
