The South Australian Naturalist. 
IS 
EVENING LECTURES— “Methods of Casting Replicas of 
Natural Objects,” by Mr. Edgar R. Waite, F.L.S., Director of 
the South Australian Museum, and “Forest Needs of South Aus- 
tralia,” by Wm. Ham, F.R.E.S., October 21, 1924: — 
Mr. Waite gave a very lucid exposition of the methods 
adopted in making replicas of natural objects for Museum pur- 
poses, illustrating his remarks by a fine collection of casts, models, 
and natural objects, such as snakes and fish. The old method 
of exhibiting such objects by stuffing the natural skin were shown 
to result rather in caricatures than replicas. The new methods 
of making exact copies were shown, the replicas, whether in 
plaster or flexible niaterial, being coloured in life-like tints. The 
snakes and fishes now on view in the Museum illustrate the ab- 
solute accuracy of the counterfeit presentments so obtained. In- 
deed visitors have been known to approach the attendants pro- 
testing that they saw one of the snakes move. Great is their 
surprise when the snake turns out to be merely a rubber-like copy 
of the original so absolute is the fidelity of the casting so obtained. 
Mr. Ham followed and spoke on “Australia's Great Need 
for Increased Afforestation,” giving a short description of some of 
the many suburban forests of Europe. The first part of the lec- 
ture was published by the “Register,” on October 24, 1924. The 
second part took the form of an imaginative account of what 
the surroundings of Adelaide might become in SO years, if the 
plans^ of this and other Societies were carried inm effect by tree- 
planting near the city in suitable places, such as the land now on 
offer to the Government on the west side of Mount Lofty. By 
the permission of the “Register,” in which it was published 
on October 1924, we are enabled to reproduce the second 
part of the lecture, which is reprinted by the special request of 
members This part of the lecture took the form of an extract 
from the “Register,” of October 29, 1974 fheld 
over) : — “We are in receipt of an advance copy 
of the report of_ the American Commission on 
lown_ Flanning which visited our city in the early part of this 
>mar, m order to report to the Federal Government of the United 
btates on the most recent developments in the laying out and im- 
provement of cities. Our readers will remember\hat the six 
members pf the commission arrived from Los Ano-eles bv aero 
plane taking 72 hours to reach Sydney. After inspecting Sydney 
and Canberra, the party continued their flight to Adelaide Uere 
they spent 12 days. The report itself is a work of art the pic 
tures with which It is profusely embellished being some of the 
finest specimens of the new natural colour stereoscopic-elfect pr'nt 
mg that we have seen. The members express themselves a^s en- 
