XXIV Proceedings. 
venting it from becoming too tenacious to admit a due amount of 
oxygen to the roots of the plant. As to other details referred to in 
Mr. Hodgkinson’s paper with regard to the vine, Mr. Wekey said 
thatthaying already given his opinion elsewhere in rather a wholesale 
way, on'this subject, he did not think it necessary to enter into 
o 
fils_on this occasion. In concluding, he mentioned, as his opinion, 
that in places referred to by Mr. Hodgkinson, if due care be taken 
in selecting a sheltered site, a very much superior wine may be 
grown than in Brighton and the coast line, where the rapid 
changes of temperature and high winds act as a great drawback 
to obtain the object aimed at by some cultivators. 
Dr. Maund agreed with Mr. Wekey, as to the importance of 
oxygen being admitted to the roots of the plant, as most conducive 
to forward its growth. 
A meteorological table, by Mr. Smyth, of the climatology of the 
month of June was laid before the meeting. The following is an 
abstract of the principal observations :— 
Rainfall, in inches nA ae Hee we «1°84 
Evaporation (still water exposed to the sun and air) 2°27 
Lowest temperature on the morning of the 12th 
June, when snow was seen on the Dandenong 
Ranges... Pa 00 5B «30 OOM 
Highest temperature on the evening of 1st June... 65° 
Mean temperature of month ... fd «. 503 
Mr. Blandowski exhibited several natural history specimens 
recently obtained for the Museum, viz. :-— 
A new species of bush rat, nearly allied to Perameles Obesuda. Lo- 
cality—near Melbourne. 
New species of bush mouse. M‘Ivor. 
The Australian pipit, generally called the Australian lark, Anthus 
Australis. ocality—near Melbourne. 
Small sized Australian lark, from Hobson's Bay. 
The whistling lark of the colonists, nearly allied to Cincloramphus 
rufescens. Axthur’s Seat. 
A variety of large sized sponges, from Port Alberton. 
Boxes of minerals, containing rare specimens from the basalt forma- 
tion ‘of Victoria, viz.:—Amnalzime, zeolites, wax opal, tripoly, 
calkspar, magnesite, phonolite, the last being the stone from 
which the natives prepare their tomahawks. 
Among the specimens exhibited were some highly interesting 
fossil remains, obtained from Creswick’s Creek, and forwarded by 
the President of the society, the Surveyor-General. 
Mr. Kentish stated that many persons lived at a distance from 
town, and it would be a great convenience if their evenings of 
meeting were to be as near the period of full moon as possible. 
Mr. Gibbons said, that the plan pursued by the late Victorian 
Institute was to hold their meetings on the first Thursday in each 
month, which generally occurred at a time when the moon was 
nearly full. 
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