Proceedings. 157 



Mr. Milligan placed on the table specimens of radiated acicular 

 Schorl from the islands in Bass's Straits ; and stated that a large 

 area of the country between Hampshire Hills and the House-top 

 Mountain, in the north west of Van Diemen's Land, is composed of 

 granite in which schorl is extensively disseminated. 



Specimens of the fungus known as " native bread," Mylitta Aus- 

 iralis, lay upon the table. A member observed that this substance, 

 grated and made into a pudding with milk alone, had been found by 

 him very palatable. Prepared in the same way, and combined with 

 double its weight of rice or sago, it has produced a very superior dish. 

 It has also been eaten with approval in soup, after the manner of 

 truffle, to which it is nearly allied. It is said that it has never been 

 found in decidedly sandy soil, that it is invariably near roots or decayed 

 trunks of trees in alluvium or rich loam that it occurs, and that there 

 is oil the surface no indication by which its existence underneath 

 may be traced by Europeans. 



A paper was read by Mr. H. Hull descriptive of a gigantic tree of 

 the Gum tribe, "occurring in a gorge on the declivity of the Mount 

 Wellington range near Tolosa, about six miles from Hobart Town." 

 Mr. Hull describes it as a blue gum {Eucalyptus globulus), and says 

 " it stands close to the side of one of the small rivulets that issue 

 from the mountain, and is surrounded with dense forest and under- 

 wood. * * * It was measured with a tape, and found to be 28 

 yards in circumference at the ground (more than 9 yards in diameter), 

 and 26 yards in circumference at the height of six feet. The tree 

 appeared sound except at one part, where the bark had opened, and 

 showed a line of decayed wood. The full height of the tree is 

 estimated to be 330 feet." 



8th Novembee, 1848. — Monthly evening meeting; J. E. 

 Bicheno, Esq., F.R.S.,in the chair. 



The following gentlemen ballotted for and elected Fellows of the 

 Society : — 



G. Courtenay, Esq., Port Arthur 



John Dobson, Esq., Hobart Town 



Lieut. Harrison, E.N., ditto 



J. H. Hull, Esq., ditto 



William Richardson, Esq., Colonial Surgeon, ditto 



Thomas Smart, Esq., Assistant Colonial Surgeon, ditto 



E. S. P. Bedford, Esq., admitted on Rule xvii., ditto. 



