184 _ THE AUSTRALIAN. NATURALIST. 
past Wilson’s Promontory, and did not reach Melbourne until 
five days later. : 
The greater part of this book is taken up with description 
of life on the goldfields, the manners of the Melbourne people, 
and eruelty to animals, but there are some interesting notes on 
bird, animal and insect life. 
Among the first things she records are the flies and dust, 
and on her first drive to South Head she saw a number of 
parrots, notes the curious plants and admired a large flock of 
black cockatoos on a large dead gum tree. 
She says: “I heard that there was a Museum of Natural 
History; and the ‘Australian Library’ contains an excellent 
selection of books for so young an institution.” The latter 
portion of the book contains an account of their life at Home- 
bush, then consisting of Homebush House, surrounded with tea- 
tree scrub, and her notes on natural history, among the latter 
is a very interesting account of the Cicadas, and the insect 
architecture of our case moths and a cup moth, illustrated with 
a plate of six cocoons. 
NATURALISTS’ SOCIETY OF N.S.W. 
TEACHERS’ COLLEGE BRANCH. 
This little branch Society has made excellent progress since 
last year, and now numbers 66 members. 
Two meetings were held during the term, the first on April 
14, at 11 aim., at the College, when Mr. A. H. Chisholm lec- 
tured on “Bird Life.” The attendance was large, numbering 
150 students and members of staff, who were greatly interested, 
not only in the details of Australian bird life, so ably described 
by the lecturer, but also in the very fine collection of lantern 
slides with which his remarks were illustrated. 
The second lecture, in May, was by Mr. D. G. Stead, on 
“By Sea and Jungle in the Malay Peninsula.” The people 
themselves were described, and much interesting information 
given on the fauna and flora, in which the lecturer was parti- 
cularly well informed, and so made his remarks most instrue- 
tive. The lecture was illustrated with many very fine lantern 
slides, and it was asked that Mr. Stead be invited to continue 
his lecture on a future occasion. 
Only-one excursion was held, to Earlwood, under the 
leadership of Mrs. Roach. Starting from Wardell Road tram 
stop, the party, of about 15, went in the direction of Hurlstone 
