Proceedings of the Royal Society for the month of September, 1894

The monthly evening meeting of the Royal Society of Tasmania was held at the Society's room, Museum, on Tuesday. September 12th. Hon. C. H. Grant presided, and there was a good attendance. Apologies were received from the Hon. Sir Jas. Wilson Agnew, K.C.M.G., M.D., M.E.C., and Mr. Jas. Barnard, Vice-Presidents. A letter was received through the Premier (Sir Edward Braddon) from the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science, Adelaide, enclosing the report of the committee appointed to make recommendations for the protection of native fauna, and asking that Tasmania would assist in carrying out the recommendations of this committee. Among other suggestions, the report urged that the Schouten Main (Freycinet Peninsula) should be set aside as a national park for Tasmania, that the Victorian and Tasmanian Governments should be requested to draw up a joint Act for the protection of the Cape Barren goose on those islands on which it is found in Bass Straits; that existing game laws should be strictly enforced, and that in all Game Acts provision should be made for the proclamation of districts, comprising both Crown lands and private property, wherein particular species may be absolutely protected for indefinite periods. The Secretary, after apologising for the absence of the president of the Fisheries Board (Mr. M. Seal), introduced the matter of the protection of the fur seal in Bass Straits and saw Maequarie Island, and that the Government of Tasmania had unfortunately decided that there should be no close season for these animals. Mr. T. Stephens drew attention to a circular which the Government had received from the Royal Geographical Society of England on the orthography of geographical names. The circular advocated the adoption of a system of orthography for place names which would be simple enough for any educated person to master with the minimum of trouble, and which would at the same time afford an approximation to the sound of a place-name such as a native might recognise. Mr. J. R. McClymont, M.A., read a paper on "Early voyages to Papua, l5ll to 1545." Owing to the lateness of the hour, Mr. Robert Henry's paper on a new method of dropping the time ball was postponed till the next meeting of the Society. The Chairman having briefly thanked Mr. McClymont for his paper and gentlemen for their remarks, the meeting closed