284 ■ Proceedings. 



A good specimen of goldbeater's skin, with a jar of gold leaf, 

 manufactured by Mr. K. V. Hood from Californian gold with tools 

 made in Hobart Town, was presented to the Society's Museum by 

 Mr. Hood. 



Mr. Milligan placed on the table some preparations in 

 spirit of Tasmanian fishes ; also some curious fossil forms recently 

 discovered by him in certain clayey beds under sandstone strata in 

 D'Entrecasteaux Channel; they are in shape <»i/o6i<e, from one to 

 five or six inches in length — in some instances two inches in breadth. 

 The carapace and heads are yet desiderata. This fossil from 

 D'Entrecasteaux's Channel approaches closest to the Calymene in 

 general appearance of any of the families of the tribe which have 

 been figured ; casts of the stems of Algoc and a form like Orthoceratite 

 are associated. 



The Secretary read a communication from Mr. Edwin Ward 

 Trent, of Park Rope Manufactory, Essex, recommending the intro- 

 duction of Italian hemp into Van Diemen's Land, as calculated to 

 become a valuable staple, realizing in England £30 to £50 per ton. 

 Mr. Trent states that he has discovered a mode of dressing New 

 Zealand flax at a rate not exceeding 2s. per cwt. 



The Secretary read the following communication from Francis 

 Cotton, Esq., of Kelvedon, Swan Port, on the habits, &c. of Snakes 

 of Tasmania ; Dr. Agnew, Lieut. Smith, and others adduced facts to 

 corroborate the statements of Mr. Cotton: — 



" To Dr. Mii.i-igan, 



" Respected Friend, — I herewith send my promised account of Snakes, 

 and regret that I cannot, as thou wilt perceive, enrich it with some anecdotes 

 by the writer of the letter which I enclose. 



" I have seen much more of snakes in this than in the old country, and 

 have noticed circumstances liere which may or may not be common there. 

 For instance, some of our cats seem to have a predilection for the small 

 snakes ; they sometimes bring them up to the house,* play with them, and 

 finish by eating them as they do mice. The fur of the cat seems to protect it 

 against snake bites; for I understand that every eifort has been tried, but 

 fruitlessly, to make the snake bite this animal. The opossum enjoys, I 

 apprehend, a similar immunity. Eagles and hawks devour snakes, and have 

 been frequently observed soaring with them in their talons to a considerable 

 height in the air, whence they drop them to the ground in order to kill them ; 

 and when they fail to accomplish this on a first effort they repeat the process, 

 and conclude by eating them. 



* Lieut. Smith remarked that he hail seen a cat bring a whip snake into the parlour 

 in Capt. Read's house, at New Town. 



