Annual Conversazione.

That the Second Annual Conversazione of this Club should have attracted so large an audience as crowded the rooms of the Royal Society's Hall on Wednesday evening, the 26th April, is evident proof of the growing popularity of this deserving young Club, and must have been a source of great gratification to its members. It was certainly a disappointment that the retiring President, Professor F. McCoy, F.G.S., &c., was unable, owing to a severe attack of bronchitis, to be present; but his valuable address lost none of its interest in the hands of the Rev. J. J. Halley, one of the Vice-Presidents, who, at short notice, kindly undertook the reading of it. The address, which appears further on, detailed the proceedings of, and the useful papers contributed by, members of the Club during the past twelve months; but the portion most deserving of attention was that referring to the intention of the Club to offer to the scholars attending the schools in and around Melbourne prizes for the best collection of and essays on Natural History, the same to be sent in prior to the next Annual Conversazione. This announcement was received with considerable applause, and is certainly a step in the right direction. The address was immediately followed by a Lecturette entitled "Beauties and Curiosities of Protophytes, a first form of Plant Life," by the Rev. J. J. Halley, who treated this so instructive a subject, illustrated as it was by diagrams, in his usual genial and comprehensive manner. A second Lecturette on a somewhat similar subject, entitled "Microscopic Life around Melbourne," was delivered by Mr. H. Watts.

The exhibits as a whole were unusually good, but the palm must be given to the Birds, the display of which was greatly superior to that of the previous year. Especially noticeable were the Paradise Birds, Pigeons, &c, from New Guinea, shown by Mr. C. French, as was also Mr. T. A. F. Leith's very handsome case of Australian Birds; and Mr. A. Coles, of Kyneton, is to be complimented upon the superior manner in which his exhibit of Wading Birds and Flying Gurnet was mounted. Mr. D. Le Souëf had a fine specimen of the gorgeous Himalayan Argus Pheasant, also one of Imperial Pheasant, page 102 and a very nice little collection of Indian and other Butterflies, Snakes, Lizards, &c. The conchological specimens (principally shells of the genus Cypræa) of Mr. J. F. Bailey proved very attractive, more especially as the exhibitor devoted most of the evening to affording visitors every information in connection with them. Mr. Bailey had also a fine lot of Minerals and Fossils collected during the past twelve months, as well as several cases of Insects. Deserving of mention also was Mr. W. R. Guilfoyle's exhibit, comprising four vols, of dried plants indigenous to the Colony, all arranged in their natural orders, and these, with his large photos, of the Wellingtonia gigantea, or mammoth tree, and Miss Guilfoyle's collection of Fish, &c., in alcohol, formed a most interesting group. Australian Insects were exceedingly well represented by portions of the cabinet collections of Messrs. D. Best and C. French. The former includes 350 species of Longicorn and 230 of Buprestis Beetles, as also a fine case of Hymenoptera, or Wasps;—the latter comprised a varied collection of four drawers Buprestis and one of Cetonia Beetles, a case each of Butterflies, Hawk-moths, and timber-feeding Moths, amongst all of which were many exceedingly rare and beautiful specimens. Mr. French had also a fine case of large Longicorns containing 52 species of the genus Batocera. In the case of beetles shown by Mr. F. H. Du Boulay were some rare species of some of the best families of Australian Coleoptera: this exhibitor had also a case of Butterflies. The sole exhibitor of Marine Algæ, Hydrozoa, and Bryozoa was Mr. H. Watts, whose carefully-prepared specimens, which were hung on the wall, attracted a good share of attention. Occupying a table by itself was a most interesting collection of 64 species of Victorian dried Ferns, very carefully mounted, and shown by Mr. F. Pitcher. Mr. J. E. Dixon's two cases representing Insect Architecture showed some of the many curious forms of habitation adopted by our hymenopterous and other insects, and evidently proves Mr. Dixon to be a close observer of their habits. A case containing a select series of the eggs and nests of the Australian Falconidæ was shown by Mr. A. J. Campbell, and Mr. P. Dattari exhibited a large case of very fine exotic Beetles. On a screen were hung a number of Native Weapons, &c., from Cape York and New Ireland, sent in by Messrs. T. G. and W. Sloane; and adjoining them were several Zulu assegais, from Mr. J. H. Matthias, who also showed specimens of the blue clay in which the diamonds are found at the South African fields. Mr. F. Wisewould had a number of Victorian Snakes, and the young of Native Bears and Opossums in various stages of development; and Mr. C. French, jun., had a very creditable case of Victorian Insects of his own collecting. Mr. J. F. Roberts exhibited two very curious plants, one being the rare Amorphophallus zebrina, and the other the equally rare orchid Cypripedium superbum. The complete collection of dried Epacridæ of the Grampians, recently presented to the Club by Mr. D. Sullivan, of Moyston, also formed an interesting exhibit. The Rev. J. J. Halley had in the kindest manner brought with him one of his Microscopes, but owing to his being so occupied with the Address and his Lecturette, he unfortunately had but little time to devote to it. A pleasing feature page 103 in connection with the exhibits was the collection of rare live ferns and other plants kindly lent for the occasion by Messrs. Law, Somner, and Co.