xliv. 



Society of Victoria by the untiring energy of its Secretary, 

 Mr. Goldstein. It has already issued two quarterly parts of 

 its Journal of seventy-eight pages and five lithographic plates. 

 One valuable feature of the new Society is the nolding of 

 practice-meetings once a week. " These have become very 

 enjoyable, partaking more of the character of Club meetings, 

 where the members, unfettered by formalities, converse freely 

 on subjects of interest, and where they may seek and obtain 

 such help as they require." The naturalists of Melbourne have 

 banded together under the title of a Field Naturalists' Club, 

 for the purpose of outdoor work, and the meetings have been 

 well attended. The zeal of its leaders cannot fail to stimulate 

 an enthusiasm in others, and the Club will doubtlessly prove 

 an efficient training-school for young naturalists. I have long 

 since wished to have engrafted on our Society something of the 

 character of a Field Club, but I have always been dubious as 

 to whether such a character could be sustained. 



Eecord of Current Literature Eelating to the Natural 

 History or Australia, particulart of South Australia. 



Mr. B. Alston describes the anatomy of the little-known 

 marsupial, Aiitechinomys, which, with JPhascologale, Antechinns, 

 and Podabrus, he regards as constituting a sub-family of the 

 Dasyuriadse. (Proc. Zool. Soc, London, June 15, 1880.) 



Mr. E. Dobson, in the same issue, describes a new species of 

 bat from Australia, which, on account of its large size, he calls 

 Megadorma gigas. 



The collections which have been made during the last few 

 years in the southern part of New Guinea indicate resem- 

 blances previously unsuspected between the faunas of New 

 Guinea and Australia. Many genera of mammals which were 

 thought to be peculiar to the continent have been found on 

 the great Papuan island. Among the more remarkable may 

 be cited two species of Echidna (ant-eating porcupines) ; true, 

 dwarf, and flying Phalangers ; Cuscus ; Macropus (kangaroos) ; 

 Perameles or bandicoots ; and Phascologale. But hitherto the 

 true Dasyures or native cats had not been known to occur 

 in New Guinea. This gap has now been filled up by the 

 discoverd at the Arfak Mountains of a species of Dasyurus. 

 This new species has been designated by Prof. A. Milne 

 Edwards (Comptes Eendus, June 28, 1880, p. 1,518) D.fuscus, 

 because of the very dark brown colour of its fur. It is the 

 smallest species of the genus, and its size does not exceed that 

 of a large common rat. It is interesting to note that the Austra- 

 lian species which it more nearly approaches, D. hallucatus, in 



