confessed to having eaten it because it was too inuch. like 

 "warrigal" (wild dog). 



Mr. F. Chapple said he was once at Point Sturt, and 

 drew attention to a half-caste child amongst the blacks, when a 

 resident said to him, " Don't appear to notice it ; they don't 

 like it." 



The Hon. B. T. FinjNTSS, in referring to many of the extra- 

 ordinary, and revolting customs of the aboriginals at certain 

 periods of life, said in the interests of the Society as a scientific 

 institution he thought a record of them should be preserved, 

 even if the description were given in one of the dead languages. 

 He hoped as Mr. "Woods promised to take up the subject again 

 that he would not overlook that point. 



On the motion of Mr. Ixglebt, seconded by Mr. Chapple, a 

 vote of thanks was accorded to Mr. Woods for his paper. 



Ordinary Meeting, March 11, 1879. 



Mr. Kupert IjS'gleby, Q..C„ Vice-President, in. the chair. 



The Hox. Secretary laid upon the table — 



" Statistical Eegister of Victoria, 1877," Parts VIII. and IX. 



" Observations at Adelaide Observatory," May and June, 

 1878. 



Circulars re Melbourne Exhibition. 



Dr. J. C. Verco was elected a member of the Council, vice 

 Jas. MacGeorge resigned by non-attendance. 



Dr. J. C. Verco read a paper upon " Statistics of Consump- 

 tion in South Australia," (see page 11). 



Mr. Thos. D. SMEAToy thought immigration influenced the 

 statistics of consumption in this colony, which, having the 

 reputation of possessing a dry climate, was resorted to by 

 persons suffering from that complaint in the hope of deriving 

 benefit from so doing. He had made a diagram, and found 

 that between the ages of 15 and 45 more died than were born, 

 which showed the effect of immigration, and that the large 

 bulk of the population were aged between those years. 



Mr. Rett suggested that Dr. Verco should move with a view 

 to getting the information desired inserted in the return. 



Mr. Ln'gleby said there was no power to compel the doctors 

 to fill in the returns. 



A gentleman observed that children inherited consumption, 

 even though the parents came here and recovered their health. 



Dr. Verco agreed with Mr. Smeaton in thinking that the 

 number of deaths registered as having occurred from con- 

 sumption was masked by immigration, and that it arose very 

 largely from immigration of persons suffering, who before 

 leaving home or very soon after arrival were consumptive. It 

 would be well if the doctors could be induced to fill up in their 

 returns the time at which persons dying came into the colony. 



