MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 3i 
MEETINGS OF. SOCIETIES. 
a ee 
LINNEAN SOCIETY OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 
Sydney, 31st October, 1883.—C. S. Wilkinson, Esq., President: 
in the chair. 
New members—Messrs. K. R. Stuart and F. W. Hawkins. 
Papers—(1.) “Occasional Notes on Plants indigenous in the 
immediate neighbourhood of Sydney, No. 5,” by Edward Haviland, 
Esq. In this paper the author treats of the peculiar construction 
of the flowers of Myrsine variabilis, a tree belonging to the order 
Myrsinee. He considers the plant to be self-fertilised, and to par- 
take largely of the nature of cleistogamic plants, which are closely 
fertilised—their flowers being so closed as to prevent the approach 
of any insect bearing pollen trom other plants. 
(2) ‘Notes on the Temperature of the body of the Echidna 
hystrix,” by N. de Miklouho-Maclay. This is a detailed account 
of some experiments made by the writer at Brisbane in July, 
1879. He found, after observations carefully made on two 
occasions, that the average temperature of the body of the Echidna 
is 25deg. C., equal to 78deg. F., or very little more than that of 
Fish, and about 25deg. F., under that of Mammals generally. 
(3.) “‘ On the Plagiostomata of the Pacific, Part ii,” by N. de 
Miklouho-Maclay and William Macleay, F.L.S. The continuation 
of a paper by the same authors, written some years back on the 
genus Hetevodontus. The present paper gives descriptions and illus- ~ 
trations of a new species from Japan named Lreterodontus Faponicus. 
4.) ‘* Notes on some Reptiles from the Herbert River, Queens- 
land,” by William Macleay, F.L.S., &c. In this paper, after 
enumerating all the Reptilia contained in the collection sent to 
- him by Mr. Boyd from the Herbert River, Mr. Macleay describes 
asnewa Lizard, Tiaris boydii, and three snakes, Tvopidonotus an- 
gusticeps, Dendvoplis bilovealis, and Herbertophis plumbeus, the latter a 
new genus allied to Covonella. 
(5.) ‘‘ Notes on some customs of the Aboriginal tribes of the 
Albert District, New South Wales,” by C. S. Wilkinson, F.G.S., 
F.L.S., President. The President read some notes furnished him 
by Mr. W: H. J. Slee, the Government Inspector of Mines, regard- 
ing a singular ceremony which the aboriginal tribes of the Mount 
Poole district perform, when, as‘is often the case in that arid 
region, they need rain. Occasionally pieces of the fibrous variety 
of gypsum, Satinspar, are found by the natives, who highly value 
them and call them “rain-stones,” for they believe that the Great 
Spirit uses them in producing rain. The President exhibited one 
of the “rain-stones” which had been secured by Mr. Slee, who 
witnessed the ceremony when performed two years ago by the 
Mount Poole and Mokley tribes. 
(6.) ‘‘ On the Brain of Grey’s Whale (Kogia Greyi),” by William 
A. Haswell, M.A, B.Sc. The obtaining by the Australian Museum 
