THE TASMANIAN NATURALIST. 
blow pipes, and other apparatus were 
shown, and practical demonstrations 
'were given on two starlings’ eggs, which 
operations were successfully and quickly 
done. 
Mr. A. -M. Lea (Government Entomo¬ 
logist) also showed how to set out and 
mount butterflies, moths, and other in¬ 
sects. The wings of the former were 
stretched out and fastened down with 
little strips of paper, the legs were put 
into proper position, and kept in place 
with many pins, which could be taken 
away when the. specimen dried. 
The meeting then resolved itself into 
a conversazione. 
J November Meeting. 
The monthly meeting was held on the 
gSth of this month at the -Masonic Hall. 
The chairman (Mr. L. Rodway) presided, 
and there was an excellent attendance. 
The following new members were 
elected:—IMc.ssr.s. G. AY. (Smith , v )xlford 
University) and ('. J. Large; as juniors, 
-Masters K. Lines and Claude Bryan. 
Exuibition of Specimens. — 'Mrs. H. L. 
Roberts showed a fine stuffed specimen 
of the wekige-tailed eagle (Uroaetus 
audax), also eggs of several kinds of 
pheasants, and of the Californian quail, 
laid by her birds at Beaumaris. Air. A. 
L. Butler showed a skin of the blue- 
banded parrakeet, and also its eggs, and 
three sets of eggs of the white-fronted 
chat (Epthianura albifrons), showing 
great difference, in markings. .Mr. Rod- 
wav exhibited and described a fungus 
disease on a speeimen of Ba-sioea cine- 
rea. Mr. E. A. Elliott showed a stuffed 
young cormorant (Phalaerocorax leueo- 
gaster) and several sets of eggs of the 
same kind, taken at Brtiny Island; also 
eggs of wedge-tailed eagle, forwarded 
him by Mr. .1. \V. Mellor. of South Aus¬ 
tralia. Air. F. L. Brownell showed 
some peculiar geological specimens from 
the Briseis tin mines. Air. O. W. | 
Smith exhibited some photos of the cor- ! 
morants' rookery at Bruny Island, and 
Air. Clive K. Lord also some photos of 
this rookery and some others of a wedge- 
tailed eagle's nest near Hobart. 
In the unavoidable absence of Air. A. 
Al. i.ea (Goyernnient Entomologist), a 
paper by him was read by the secretary 
on "A N'ew and Remarkable Genus of 
Blind Beetles from Australia and Tas¬ 
mania. of the Family Trichopterygidae,” 
which will be found elsewhere in this 
issue. 
Air. Clive E. Lord read an interesting 
account of the recent camp-out at Ford 
Bay. Bruny Island, and which also ap¬ 
pears in this issue. 
•Air. G. W. Smith, of the Ox¬ 
ford University, (who has Ibeen sent 
bv that institution 'to Tasmania to 
work up a report on the freshwater 
Crustacea of this island, gave a most 
interesting account of some of these 
animals, illustrating his remarks with 
sketches on a blackboard. It is antici¬ 
pated that an artitne by Air. Smith, em¬ 
bracing the Subject matter of bis re¬ 
marks at the meeting, will appear in tbe 
next issue of the “Tasmanian Natural¬ 
ist.’’ j 
The usual conversazione closed a very 
enjoyable meeting. 
Mote on a 'Wasmanian Jem. (Bystopteris 
Jragilis S6ern. 
BY L. ROD WAY (Government Botanist). 
This fern, so rare with us, lias once 
more 'been gathered. Air. T. B. Moore, 
who justly stands in the front as a keen 
observer, recently found it in the neigh¬ 
bourhood of [lie Franklin Range. Only 
once befire in the present generation has 
it been gathered, namely, by AV. D. Wes¬ 
ton, of Launceston, who met with it. a 
few years ago in the vicinity of Aliddle- 
sex Plains. Previous to that the only 
record of its existence in Tasmania is 
that of Gunn, who discovered it near 
Lake .St. Clair. The distribution of this 
delicate fern is very extensive, but 
chiefly in tbe northern hemisphere. it 
Jus not yet been found on the mainland 
of Australia, but has been gathered in 
many localities in Mew Zealand. In 
South America it grows along III.' whole 
length of the Andes as far south as Chili. 
) 
