JUNE, 1898. 



There was a- large attendance at the 

 monthly meeting of the Royal Society of 

 Tasmania on Monday evening, June 13, 

 the Hon. C. H. Grant, M.E.C., C.E., 

 presiding. 



MR. W. C. PIGUENIT'S SUCCESS. 



The Secretary (Mr. A. Morton) re- 

 ferred to Mr. Piguenit's great success mth 

 the pictures he had been exhibiting at the 

 Grafton Art Gallery in London. On Satur- 

 day news came of all his pictures having 

 been sold for higher prices than he (Mr. 

 Piguenit) had expected ; that his works 

 Avere most highly appreciated ; and he had 

 been able to establish a good agency in 

 London for the sale of his works, which 

 would include many Tasmanian views. 



Mr. R. M. Johnston spoke Avitla much 

 gratification of the success of Tasmania's 

 brilliant son in the world of art. 



The Chairman was sure they all 

 heartily congratulated Mr. Piguenit on his 

 success in the old country, which abounded 

 with artists of the highest order. 

 A visitor 



Mr. Sadler, of the Great Boulder mine, 

 Kalgoorlie, was introduced to the meeting 

 as a visitor. 



NEW MEMBERS. 



Rev. C. R. Pollock, F.R.G.S., Mr. W. 

 H. Wallace (Secretary of Mines), Mr. W. 

 J. Watchorn, and Mr. R. C. Patterson, 

 Avere balloted for, and elected members of 

 the Society. 



PAPERS. 



"A LIST OF THE TASMANIAN MOLLUSCA." 



By Miss M. Lodder. 



The Secretary tabled a re-classification of 

 Tasmanian marine moUusca, which, he 

 said, Avas a A'ery valualile list, by Miss 

 M. Lodder. Miss Lodder had also re- 

 arranged the collection in the Museum, 

 and had also filled many gaps. 



Mr. R. M. Johnston assured the meet- 

 ing that Miss Lodder's Avork Avas a very 

 important one. She had, more than any 

 other person, during late years made a 

 very intimate study of Tasmanian 

 tnollusca, as Avell as many other Tas- 

 manian natural history subjects. She had, 

 Avith that energy, care, and ability that 

 distinguished her, done a good Avork for 

 the Miiseum by amending the list of 

 names and identifying some varieties Avith 

 the original names and ty]jes hj the aid of 

 specimens in Sydney and elseAvhere, and so 

 had been able to correct a large number of 

 mistakes. 



"On the occurrence of a sea snake 

 in tasmanian avaters." 

 By Alex. Morton. 

 The Secretary read the foUoAvirig 

 notes on the occurrence of a sea snake in 

 Tasmanian Avaters : — For the feAV notes I 

 have to make to-night on the finding of_ a 

 sea snake in Tasmanian Avaters I am in- 

 debted to Mr. A. Mault. During a recent 

 visit to St. Mary's, Mr. Manlt's attention 

 AA'as draAvn to a s]3ecinien of a snake that 

 had been preserved by Mr. J. Coonibe, a 

 resident of St. Mary's. On examination 

 Mr. Mault found the specimen to be a true 

 sea snake, and on his return to Hobart very 

 kindly supplied me Avith the information 

 he had been able to obtain ; also 

 suggesting that I should Avrite to 

 Mr. Coombe, Avhich I did, and on the 

 10th inst. that gentleman furnished me 

 Avith the following interesting account : 

 — " St. Mary's, June 8, 1898. Dear Sir,— I 

 must apologise for not having ansAvered 

 yours dated May 25, in Avhich you ask for 

 any particulars re the capture of the snake 

 Avhich Avas effected in our district a feAV 

 Aveeks ago. I Avished to ascertain from the 

 man Avho secured the reptile first hoAv he 

 managed it, and he informs me he had set 

 some night lines at the mouth of a small 

 stream Avhich floAvs into the sea at 

 Picaninni Point, and on dragging the lines 

 ashore in the morning he found this snake 

 hooked. He thought it Avas some neAv kind 

 of eel at first, never having seen anything 

 of the kind before. The man procured 

 a large billy, thinking he might be 

 al)le to keep the creature alive, but it 

 did not live more than a couple of hours, 

 and never appeared very lively. I shoAved 

 the specimen to Colonel Legge, Avho at 

 once pronounced it to be a sea snake, but 

 very uncommon in Tasmanian Avaters, 

 being a habitant of tropical seas. Colonel 

 Legge informed me that he has seen the 

 species on the rocks on the coast of Ceylon. 

 I do not care to part Avith the specimen at 

 present, but expect it Avill eventually find 

 its Avay to a place amongst your collection. 

 Yours, etc., J. Coombe." This is the 

 first occasion that I have heard of a sea 

 snake being found in Tasmanian Avaters. 

 The late Dr. Gerard Krefft, at one 

 time curator of the Australian Museum, 

 Sydney, NeAv South Wales, in his Avork, 

 entitled " The snakes of Australia," 

 gives a list of 13 sea snakes ; no mention 

 IS made of any being found in the Tas- 

 manian seas. As a rule the sea snakes are 

 inhabitants of the tropical parts of the 



