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THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 172 
indica, to demonstrate the method by which birds abstract nectar 
without assisting in pollination. 
-Mr. W. W. Froggatt exhibited: (1) A Lecanid scale insect 
(Cryptes baccatum) so thickly infesting the twigs of the Myall 
(Acacia pendula) on Quanda Station, Gular, that the owner, Mr. 
George Ryder,states that well-grown trees. are dying apparently 
from this scale infestation. (2) A series of specimens of a 
fine moth, Pielus hyalinatus, showing its variable markings, the 
shades of colour ranging from buff to yellow, light brown, and 
pink. Mr. Froggatt gave some interesting notes on the habits 
o£ the insects exhibited, and the numbers that had been noticed 
in many parts of New South Wales this last season. 
Mr. Oliver (Noll) Edwards forwarded as an exhibit ex- 
amples of two species of Nicotiana, N. glauca Grah “Tree To- 
_ bacco,” an introduced weed from South America, and WN. sua- 
veolens Lehm. “Native Tobacco,” indigenous in Australia. NV. 
glauca is a suspected poison plant, but the evidence available is 
not absolutely conclusive. The properties of N. suaveolens 
were recently investigated by Dr. Petrie, whose results show 
that the plant contains the extremely poisonous alkaloid nico- 
tine, and that it is present in sufficient quantities to poison 
stock. (Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., xli., 151.) 
The President read a paper by Mr. T. Steel, comprising’ 
some quaintly interesting notes from an old British Herbal. 
In his lecture, “Popular Notes on Fungi,’ Mr. E. Cheel 
drew attention to several popular articles on fungi, which dem- 
onstrated a lack of knowledge of ihe formation of the fungoid 
growths reviewed by the authors. The characteristic features 
of various species of rusts, smuts, bunts, blights, rots, mildews, 
moulds and cankers, were explained and their functions dis- 
cussed. A specimen of the Ginger-beer plant was exhibited, 
and the action of the yeast fungus and the bacteria, of whic! 
it is the combined product, was shown. ‘The lecturer drew at- 
tention to the extensive and valuable collection of Fungi in the 
National Herbarium. A discussion arose on the effects of 
spraying potatoes for Irish Blight, in which Mr. BE. 8. Ea- 
wards and L. Gallard participated. Mr. Edwards moved a 
vote of thanks to the lecturer, which was carried by acclama- 
tion. 
August 3rd, 1920.—The President, Mr. A. G. Hamilton, in. ° 
the chair. Miss Brown was elected a member of the Society. 
Mr. H. E. Finckh exhibited a compact case for holding 
slides, in the form of a book, which would be suitable for a 
