536 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
out under Admiral d’Entrecasteaux to ascertain the fate of Count La 
Pérouse and his crew, M. de la Billardiere became botanist of the 
expedition, and had thus the splendid opportunity of rendering known 
much of the vast vegetation of South-west Australia (King George’s 
Sound having only in the year before been discovered by Captain 
Vancouver), and also of the southern part of Tasmania, he being the 
first to explore phytologically the region where now the tewn of 
Hobart stands, although Bruni Island had been already visited during 
Cook’s second and third expeditions in 1773 and 1777. At the war 
time La Billardiere’s collections were confiscated in Java; but on his 
return to France they were restored to him through the influence of 
Sir Joseph Banks, an act of generosity on which particular stress was 
laid in the necrology of Banks in the French Academy. The results of 
La Billardiere’s researches during D’Entrecasteaux’s expedition are 
largely contained in the two folio volumes, “Nove Hollandiz 
plantarum spec.,” 1804-6; in the ‘ Relation du voyage a la recherche 
de La Perouse,” 1799, of which soon after an English translation 
appeared, and further, in the illustrated quarto publication ‘“ Sextum 
Austro-Caledonium” (1824-5). His three weeks’ stay in New Caledonia 
during D’Entrecasteaux’s voyage afforded La Billardiere the oppor- 
tunity of shedding almost the iirst scientitic light on the largely endemic 
vegetation of that island, but very little having been previously 
elucidated of that flora by the two Forsters. 
Hobart, August 11th, 1885.—Mr. James Barnard, Vice-President 
in the chair. 
New Fellow.—Mr. Turnbull. 
Papers.—-(1) “Iceland and the Icelanders,” by Rey. J. B. 
Woollnough. 
(2) “The Split Mosses, Bog Mosses, and EKarth Mosses of 
Tasmania,” by Mr. R. A. Bastow. 
. (3) “Descriptions of some Fossil Leaves from Mount Bischoff,” 
by Mr. R. M. Johnston, F.L.S. The two new fossil leaf impressions 
described by Mr. Johnston, belong to the genera Tazites and 
Eucalyptus. The former was discovered by Mr. Thureau at Mount 
Bischoff associated with clays and in drift deposits underlying the basalt 
sheet formerly referred to in connection with the Tertiary Leaf Beds at 
this place. The species has been named Taxites Thureaut in honour of 
its discoverer. The locality from whence the splendid new specimen of 
Eucalyptus (2. Milligani, Johnston) was obtained is not known, 
although supposed to be from Tertiary Leaf Beds at Macquarie Harbour, 
where probably it was discovered by the late Dr. Milligan. It is 
associated with well kuown forms in Tasmanian Tertiaries belonging to 
the genera Fagus, Laurus, Cinnamomum, Magnolia, &e. 
Mr. T. Stephens exhibited a specimen of the Coal which had been 
found at some distance from Longford, on the road leading from that 
township to Launceston, and near Jordan’s Bridge. The existence of 
coal had been suspected in the neighbourhood for the last 40 years, but 
it had been left to Mr. Mason, a landed proprietor in the district, to 
prosecute a search, and he was rewarded by finding a seam which was 
stated to be 4ft. in thickness. Mr. Stephens thought that these coal 
