79 
the Tasmanian Society. 
Government House, 7th June: 
Present—Sir John Franklin; Messrs. Barnard, Bedford 
Bicheno, Boyes, Bradbury, Ewing, Fraser, Gell, Grcgson! 
Henslowe, W. Kay, Lewis, Milligan. 
After reading the minutes of the last meeting, the Secretary 
informed the Society that it was his painful duty to record the 
loss of two of its members, Dr. Harvey and Mr. Nixon. The 
decease of the former took place at Port Lincoln, February 
16th, 1843. Mr. Nixon, late of the 90th Regiment, came out 
as a settler to Adelaide in the autumn of 1837, where he was 
subsequently connected with the Survey and with the Emigra- 
gration Departments, lie died at Adelaide early in the present 
year, alter a lingering and painful illness, brought on, in a 
great measure, by his exertions whilst engaged In exploring 
the country. 
Communications were laid before the Society from Mr. 
Gunn, on the Sollya anyustifolia (vid. Tasm. Journ., i., 
p. 319), and on the imported and indigenous Nettles of 
Tasmania; also, in reference to the application made to him 
since the last meeting of the Society to keep meteorological 
observations, saying that he waited for Mr. Friend to mature 
certain improvements in his instruments.—Also from the Secre¬ 
tary of the Athenaeum, in acknowledgment of the second num¬ 
ber of the Society’s Journal.—Mr. Ewing’s Report to His 
Excellency on the Statistical Returns was laid on the table; 
and portions of an article upon the Dental mid Poison Ap¬ 
paratus of Tasmanian Snakes, by Dr. Agnew, were read; for 
which the special acknowledgments of the Society were directed 
to be conveyed to the author, with a request that he would con¬ 
tinue his investigations upon the subject. 
In reference to plants imported into Tasmania by the progress 
of Colonization, Mr. Bicheno observed that there are certain 
species which follow man, and domesticate themselves about 
his habitations in a remarkable manner. In England the 
Roman Nettle had never spread upon English soil, but was 
still found in the neighbourhood ol those stations which had 
once been tenanted by the Romans. So in New England the 
plantain, unknown to the aborigines, followed the footsteps of 
the English. Some of these plants will follow man to the height 
of 6000 feet above their natural habitat; others again prefer 
the tracks of commerce, and the same species is to be found in 
the neighbourhood of sea-ports, at however wide an interval 
they may be separated, while it show no disposition to spread 
inland. The number of these plants already growing in 
Tasmania is much greater than is generally supposed; and it 
would be an interesting enquiry to make out a list of them, and 
to observe any changes which the air and soil may produce in 
the different species. 
