; msrnm The Victorian Naturalist Vol. XLV. MAY, 1928, TO APRIL, 1929 CONTENTS Field Naturalists* Club of Victoria :— pagk Annua! Report ...-..-•-..... 61 Exhibition of Wild Flowers- 182 Proceedings 1, 29, 57, »9, 121, 149, 173, 201, 225, 24R, 269, 283 Supplement to October Number, 52 pages. Western District Excursion (10 days), Reports* General, Pbysiographical, Geological, Botanreal and Entomological ~ and descriptions of four new species, after p. 172* LECTURETTES April 16th. 1928—On Scientific Sjudy -.. .. Dk T. 1), A.- Cockebrm., Univ., Colorado, U.S.A. May 14th— Western District Excursion, Ma. E. E. Fescott, V\L.S. Juno llth —Conversazione. July 9th—The Great Barrier Reef ...,.,,,, db. sidnky Psnw •• •• Tablton Raymiwt ,fc|iV Au8« 13th—Native Bees , - W<\ g™fe : '-; Sept. 10th—Aboriginal Stone Axes -.. Ma. C. Daiey, BA, F.L.S. Get. of River District, ,;;, »t'?- 8th—Animate and Plants the Daintree Q ? : W W&'- Mk - c - Barkett, C.M.Z.S. .j-^Vs,-^-; Nov. 12th—Natural History of "West Australia -;. Ma. J. CtAKK, F.L.S. Pulleixs ^fe^' Dec. 10th—Australian Trap-door Spiders . Dn. R, H. ^•s8-f-& Jan. 14th, 1929—Natural History of the Federal Capital Territory, DAtEY, SSi^V Mr - c - B,A„ FXJS- i'WSS^I'T^ llth— Beetle Pests of the Sugar Cane .. Ma. A. N, Bubns BBKm»&\- f^^gpMar. llth—Swans. Ducks and Geese , Da. J. A. Leach ' Ma:-. The Victorian Naturalist VOU XLV—JSJo, 1 MAY 9, 1928. No. 533. THE FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB OF VICTORIA. The ordinary monthly meeting of the Club was held in the Royal Society's Hall. Victoria-street, Melbourne, on Monday, April 16th, 1928. The President Mr. E, E. Peseott, F.L.S., occupied the chair, and there were about 120 members and visitors present. RKPORTS. Reports of excursions were given as follow:—Lily- dale, Mr. F. Chapman, A.L.S.. F.G.S.; Burnley Gardens- Mr. E. E, Peseott, F.L.S.; Macedon, Mr. V, K. Miller; Forrest, Mr. H. B. Williamson, P.L.S.; and St. Kilda Gardens, Mr. V. H. Miller. ELECTION OF MF/MBERS. The following were duly elected on a show of hands:— As Ordinary Members:—Miss V. E. Carter* Thread- needle-street, Balwyn; Miss Collier, 26 Jolimont Terrace, Jolimont; Misses L. and L Reichert, 102 Albert-street, Footscray ; Mr. A. R, Arnold, 95 Maribyrnong-road, Ascot Vale; and Miss A. M. Creaton, 95 Queen-street, Melbourne; and as a Country Member:—Mr. W. Cham- pion Hackett, Dequetteville Terrace. Kent Town, Ade- laide, S.A. CENTRAL. The President referred to the approaching marriage of the Hon. Treasurer, Mr. A. G. Hooke, and spoke in eulogistic terras of the valuable services rendered to the Club by Mr. Hooke during the past five years. On behalf of members, the President then presented to Mr. Hooke a pair of silver-plated entree dishes, as a token of esteem and appreciation. " Mr. G. Coghill, a former Treasurer, supported the President in wishing Mr. Hnoku every happiness and prosperity in his future life. Mr. Hooke responded in suitable terms. The President extended a welcome to Mr. J. R. King- horn, President of the ZoologicaJ Society of New South ' Wales, and Mr. Give Lord, Director of the Hobart Museum. Both gentlemen responded briefly. Notice was given by the President of the following motion to be submitted to the May meeting of the Club : - 'Thut Mr. R. D. Elliott be elected a Honorary Life Mem- ber of the Club, in view of his interest in obtaining a gift of £200 to the Club, far special biological field work," 1: <7iu&—Proceedings Field Naturalists ( vol* xt!v. LECTURE, ETC. The President extended a cordial welcome to Dr. T. D. A. Cockerel], Professor of Zoology at the University of Colorado, U.S.A., who was on a visit to Australia, and who had kindly consented to give atf address before the Club. After acknowledging the welcome, Dr. Cockerell delivered a very interesting and instructive lecturette, in the course of which he touched on many aspects of scientific work in various parts of the world, and made several valuable suggestions regarding the popularising of natural history. EXHIBITS. By Mr. A. J. Tadgell.—Plant specimens collected on Fainter High Plains, in January, 1928 (mostly re- stricted to the Alps at about 5,000 feet) : — (a) Velvet Wheat-Grass, Agropyrnm vdutinum> an alpine grass, very rarely collected in Victoria, as it seems to be re- stricted to a radius of a few miles in the Alps, (b) Tas- man Plantain, Plantago Tasmanica—7\ Gimnii, and a variety (aritarctica) , Both forms, strangely, are found not uncommonly growing in close association; usually the type form may be looked for on the hillsides and the variety in or near water. The type form has woolly, hairy, grey, broad leaves, lined and toothed; the variety form has shining, bright green, not very hairy, almost entire leaves, that give the plant a glabrous appearance, (c) Fir Clubmoss, Lycopodium* Sdago. An unusually fine specimen, with stems ?£ inches in length, (d) Hedge-hog Grass, Echin&jwgon ovatus. This rough bearded scabrid grass,, never abundant, is usually found in the forms with nearly leafless sterna, from the sea to the Alps. The unusual form found at about 4,000 feet has large lanceolar leaves, abundant on the stems. By Dr. Heber Green.—Herbarium spedmems of "Gully Gum," Eucalyptus Smithn, R. T. Baiter, collected seven miies beyond Nowa Nowa, April, 1928; also freah speci- men of "Spotted Gum," Eucalyptus maculata, from Mel- bourne Botanic Gardens. By Mr, H. B. Williamson, F*L.S.—Herbarium speci- mens, of (1) Bentham Bush-pea, Pidtenaea Bentkainii. F. v. M., collected at Bairnsdale by Mr. T, S. Hart, M.A. (previously recorded only from the Grampians). (2) Specimens of the seven Victorian species of Water Milfoil {MyriophylUim) . (3) Fresh specimens of Ivy Duck- weed, Lemna trisulm* L., collected in th<* Upper"Barwon f Naturalists' Proceeding* Yn* ] &U$& Club— S at Forrest, April, 1928. (4) Phot03. taken at Easter "Camp-out" at Forrest. By Mr. C. Daley, B.A., F.L.S.—Specimens of Gram- pians Sandstone, from Mt. Abrupt to Mt. Arapiles. Also 10 sketches taken on Western District Excursion, Octo- ber, 1927. By Miss E. Raff.—Specimens of Waxberry* Gaultheria hispida, Rough Coprosma, C. hi-rtella t Elderberry Panex TieghevnopanO'Z sambitcifolius, and "Tatoon/* Laptosper- mum ftdvescens, collected at Mt. Buffalo, April, 1928. By Mr. D. Blair.—Specimens of Correa rubra and Oleoria rayKulona, from Merri Creek, Coburg. By Mr. A. E. Opperman.—'Flowering sprays of Fairy Waxfiower, Eriostemon obovali&, from Castlemaine, April, 1928. By Miss G. Nokes.—Flowering spray. of Hakea taurine grown at Montmorency* By Mr. V. H. Miller.—Specimens of Pterostylis dbtusa, from Fern Tree Gully, April, 1928. By Mr, F. G. A. Barnard.—Specimens of Acacia striata, showing pinnate form of leaves. By Mr. E. E. Pescott, F.L.S.—Specimens of (a) Plec* tmnthus yarviftoms; (b) dried specimens of Pterustylis obtusa; (c), specimen of Caladenia from Mt. Zero, Abo- riginal implements from Lake Lonsdale, collected on Western District excursion, October, 1927- By Mr. C.French, Jr.—Two cases showing specimens of Freckled White Butterfly, CaUid/>*ya$ pura/nthe, collected at Shepparton, Harcourt, and Coburg, April, 1928. Also 60 species of Australian bees and about 200 species of Australian scale insects, found on forest trees, etc* By Mr. H. P. McColl.—Garden -grown specimens of Acacia rhetinodes, Eucalyptus torquata. Stenocarpus xmuatuH and Callistemon lanceolata. Mrs. J- G. Coleman, of Blackburn, is anxious to hear from anyone who is willing to seli copies of the Southern Science Record, or any reprints containing original articles on Australian Orchidaceae. She also wishes to VI. aliens-is purchase Vol. of Flora Austr f and No. 1, Vol. I.; No. 4, Vol. II.; and No. 4, Vol. IV., of the Victorian Naturalist. — A Wu.mamkgx, The Lilies of Victoria [^ *fy THE LILIES OF VICTORIA, • By II. B. WruJAMSON, F.L.S. PAKT I. The plants belonging to this group have always been favourites, and in the garden include the Hyacinth, Tulip, Tiger Lily, Agapanthus, Tuberose* Butcher's Broom and other attractive plants, while among edible plants and plants used for fibre, Onion, Garlic, Asparagus and New Zealand Flax (Phormium), stand as examples. "Trum- pet Lily," "Belladonna Lily," "Murray Lily/ 1 of the Riverina are misnomers, as they do not belong to the family Lilmeeae. About 150 genera, containing upwards of 1,400 species, have boon enumerated, but Australia has only about 150 species, Victoria has 26 genera, with 47 species, 16 of the 26 genera being represented by only one species each. While in some of the other States there are species with showy individual flowers, for ex- ample, the beautiful Blandfordias of New South Wales and Tasmania, our lilies do not, as a. rule* specially appeal to the eye, except when in masses or clusters, which is rarely the case. About 30 have small or very smalt flowers of a white, pale pink, or pale blue colour; 10 are yellow, and 7 a bright blue, many of the flowers being less than an inch across, and not occurring in clusters or masses, as is the case with some other families. Four of the species are climbers or twiners, which scramble to great heights among tall vegetation. Our Grass-trees, one of which produces a thick trunk, belong to this family, though once included n\ Juncwme, in which family Bentham also placed our Mat-rushes, Lorn* andra. The most showy of the family have bright blue flowers—the common Nodding Blue-lily, and the Blu« Tinsel Lily of the Grampians. The majority are herba- ceous plants, and though their small flowers are not so varied in form as the orchfds, they are none the less beautiful, especially the lovely, delicate Fringe-lilies, the dainty little Blue Squill, and the children's favourite, Early Nancy, while the brightly-coloured berries of Tor- quoise Berry, Wombat Berry, and the Flax-lilies, help in their way to give charm to the bush in Autumn.