120 PKOCEEDINGS. 



is no doubt that a tribe who lived at Maitland were cannibals at 

 times when their ordinary food supply was scarce. They generally 

 subsisted on kangaroos, wallaby, native bear, opossums and any 

 fish they could spear, and also a good deal on snakes. Mr. Elliott 

 told me there was a black who lived at his selection, and did not 

 migrate like the others, because he said the whole of Mr. Elliott's 

 selection was on a bit of land the King of the tribe gave to him, 

 and he always resided permanently upon it. This black knew 

 the life history of nearly every living creature on this piece of 

 land, and he particularly studied the snakes. One day Mr. 

 Elliott saw a large black snake near his hut, and killed it. Pre- 

 sently this black-fellow came up in a terrible state of indignation, 

 " What you done ? " Why do that ? Why you kill that fellow 2 

 Me watch that fellow this long time. That fellow not fat enough 

 yet. Me wanted by and by to kill and eat him when get fat 

 enough." It shows what kind of observation they take of the 

 different classes of food on which they set special value, especially 

 snake preserves. 



WEDNESDAY, JULY 2, 1890. 



Dr. Leibius, m.a., f.c.s., President, in the Chair, 



Forty-two members were present. 



The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. 



The Certificates of five candidates were read for the third 

 time, and seven for the second time. 



The following gentlemen were duly elected ordinary members 

 of the Society : — 



Allan, Percy, C.E., Sydney. 

 Burne, Dr. A., Sydney. 

 Nardin, E. A., c.e., Sydney. 

 Yicars, James, b.c.e., Ashfield. 



Wilson, James T., m.b. Univ. Edin., Sydney University. 

 In the absence of the author, the Hon. Secretary (Mr. Kyngdon) 

 read a paper by Baron Ferd. von Mueller, k.c.m.g., m. and Ph.D., 

 f.r.s., &c, " Record of hitherto undescribed plants from Arnheim's 

 Land. 



Prof. Anderson Stuart, M.D., exhibited a new mode of demon- 

 strating the manner in which the mind judges of the position of 



