Proceedings of the Royal Society for the month of August, 1887

The usual monthly meeting of the Royal Society of Tasmania was held on August 15. There was a fair attendance of Fellows, and the chair was occupied by the President, His Excellency Sir Robert Hamilton, K.C.B., who came accompanied by Miss Hamilton, Miss Harvey, and Mr. H, W. B. Robinson, the private secretary.
Includes a list of additions to the library during the month of July.
The Secretary read copies of letters sent to the Royal Society of Victoria with reference to the proposed Antarctic exploration, and read a reply. The Secretary submitted a paper by Baron von Mueller on some plants new to Tasmania, and others found in new localities. Mr. Perrin read extensive notes on the plants referred to by the Baron. Some correspondence was read with reference to Mr. Augustus Oldfield, who was a botanist for many years in Tasmania, and possessed very high testimony of his scientific acquirements and disinterestedness from Sir J. Hooker, Baron von Mueller, and other authorities, died in comparative obscurity, and his friends desired that his name should at least be rescued from oblivion, considering his valuable work.
Mr. T. Stephens drew attention to several specimens from the tunnel on the Scottsdale Railway, kindly furnished by the Engineer- in- Chief (Mr. Fincham.) The tunnel is to be carried through a ridge of that series of rocks striking more or less north and south which are to be found at intervals along the whole of the N. Coast, and may be generally described as Silurian, the subdivision of the primary rocks of Tasmania being impracticable in the present condition of our knowledge of their several relations.
Mr. Morton exhibited some very large earthworms kindly obtained by Mr. Bernard Shaw, Inspector of Police. Some of these measured from 2ft. to 3ft. in length.