7 j( <8tjoo Patron : HIS MAJESTY THE KING. ^reisttiettt : HIS EXCELLENCY SIR ARTHUR ELIBANK HAVELOCK G.C.S.L, G.C.M.G. Bice^Presiibeittje;: THOMAS STEPHENS, ESQ., M.A., F.G.S. R. M. JOHNSTON, ESQ., F.S.S. A. G. WEBSTER, ESQ. HON. N. J. BROWN, M.E.C. (ilottncti : * A. MAULT, ESQ. * RUSSELL YOUNG, ESQ. * PROF. NEIL SMITH, M.A. * BERNARD SHAW, ESQ. T. STEPHENS, ESQ., M.A., F.G.S. C. J. BARCLAY, ESQ. HON. G. H. BUTLER, M.R.C.S.E., M.L.C. A. G. WEBSTER, ESQ. COL. W. V. LEGGE, R.A. R. M. JOHNSTON, ESQ., F.S.S. HON. N. J. BROWN, M.E.C. L. RODWAY, ESQ. ^ubitor of il^ontf)lj) |iccount;S: R. M. JOHNSTON, ESQ., F.S.S. lion, ereaisnrer: C. J. BARCLAY, ESQ. Son. pi)otograpl)er: J. W. BEATTIE. ^ntiitor of llnnnal Jcccountjs: W. W. ECHLIN. ^tcretarg anti librarian: ALEXANDER MORTON. * Members who next retire iai rotation. global Sarietg of Tasmania* ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS, MAY, 1900. A meeting of tke Royal Society of Tas- mania was held in the Art Gallery on Thurs- day, May 10, 1900, His Lordship the Bishop of Tasmania, Vice-President, pre- siding. An apology was received for the absence of the Hon. Sir James Agnew, K.C.M.G., M.D. (Senior Vice- President). This being the opening meeting of the present session of the Society, the Bishop gave a brief resume of the 1899 session's work. At the commencement of a new ses- sion it may be as well if I put before the members of the society a few facts regarding the E-oyal Society and the Museum during the last 12 months, and then pass on to speak of our immediate hopes and intentions. The Museum is constantly receiving valuable additions. Only the other day by the action of Mr. Morton a gift was received of English birds, some 173 specimens, beautiftilly set up. We are met in the picture gallery, and it will interest you to know tha: one group of friends has given us pic- tures in the last year valued at £1,200. Others, too, have been given, making seven Daintings in all. Even these few facts will indicate how good a case we have when we ask the Government to fulfil their old pro- mise to give us additional accommoda- tion in the new wing, which has become absolutely necessary to us. The esti- mate of £4,000 was passed by both Houses in the year 1890, but in the time of financial depression it was impos- sible to claim it, and it lapsed. The Government has expressed itself en- tirely favourable, officially, to the estimate being once more passed. It will be fresh in your memories also that the Antarctic expedition was welcomed by an enthusiastic audience in the Town Hall under the auspices of the Royal Society. I think we may say that everything that could be done was done by our energetic secretary to re- ceive the expedition fittingly. We are S remised an Antarctic night by Mr. [orton as soon as the history of the expedition is made public, and I fancy we shall have to adjourn to the Town Hall if we are to find room for our audi- ence. I now turn to the future. Two sections will be at work, besides the central meetings of the society, the medical and historical sections, which, of course, feed the more important meetings. Who will take up the burning scientific question of the day? Shall it be the medical session or the whole society P The most important subject I hav^ kept to the last. It is known to most members that last January it was agreed in Melbourne that the next meeting of the Australasian Science As- sociation should be held in Hobart. Our reputation for making such gather- ings' successful is, I regret to say, pain- fully high. All we can hope to do is to preserve our level. No effort will be spared to do this. In the face of that coming meeting, would it not be possible to have the new wing of the Museum ready, or nearly ready. There is a work, too, which we may hope to present by that date. You are aware that we have one distinguished botanist among our members — Mr. Rod way — whose work is held in the highest esteem among hif brother workers. Mr. Rodway has at length finished his great work on the "Botany of Tasmania," a work which is far ahead of an^ything that has yet appeared, and we are glad to be able to state that the Governnnpnt will pro- bably agree to publish it. It will be a noble gift to present to the associa- tion at its Hobart meeting in 1902. We have, however, another delightful pros- pect. It seems that the British Ant- arctic ExpeditioTi, which will, of course, be fitted out with the greatest care, and be as complete as human skill can make it, may be expected to visit Ho- 11 bart at the close of 1901, before pro- ceeding south. Surely we ought to make every effort to hold the Associa- tion meeting at such a date as to en- able all scientific men in Australasia to meet here to unite with us in send- ing off the expedition with the com- bined good wishes of all the scientific societies in this hemisphere. To com- pass this end we ought to be prepared, if necessary, to hold the association meeting in December, 1901, rather than in January, 1902. We can depend upon Mr. Morton to watch events, and to inform us in good time what we should do. We will now proceed to the business put down for this evening. New .Members. Dr J). H. E. Lines, Professor E. G. Hogg, M.A., and Mr. F. E. BurbuiT were elected members of the Society. Paleontological Papers. Mr. R. M. Johnston, F.S.S., read a paper '"On the Further Notes on Permo- Carboniferous Fossil Cliffs at Darling- ton, Maria Island." ''Observations re- garding the discovery of a portion of a Fossil Reptile, found on the North-Wes^ Coast." Tho papers were illustrated by lan- tern-slides, which the lecturer announced that he owed to the courtesy of the Sec- retary, Mr. Alex. Morton, who recently visited Maria Island. The slides were prepared by Mr. Beat tie. Aerial Navigation. Mr. E. O. Litchfield read an essay on the history and present position of aerial navigation, particularly with re- ference to a gas and screw vessel now in preparation. The lecturer explained that the invention he had to describe was a combination of the gas and screw principles. The field or aerostation had i3een highly attractive to experimental scientists for a long time, and par- ticularly during the past century. The problem was — how to design vessels heavier than air which could be driven through the air? As concerned the lift- ing of heavy weights by gas, many sat- isfactory and convincing experiments had been made by aeronauts. The dif- ficulty now lay in constructing a vessel so compact and substantial as to travel through the air. The vessel of which he had to speak would carry just sufficient hermetically-sealed gas to bear the weight of the structure. Ascent and descent would be accomplished by the upward or downward pressure of sus- pensory screws. Mr. Litchfield illus- trated his paper with a number of in- teresting lantern pictures. A vote of thanks to Messrs. Johnston and Litchfield brought the meeting to a close. J. B. WALKER, F.R.G.S. Ill JUNE, 1900. The monthly evening meeting of the Royal Society was held in the Art Gal- lery of the Tasmanian Museum on Tues- day, June 19, Mr. Thos. Stephens, M.A., F.G.S. (vice-president) in the chair. Apologies. The secretary read apologies for ab- sence from Sir James Agnew, the Bishop of Tasmania, and the Speaker of the House of Assembly. Election. The following were elected membeTs of the society: — Messrs. G. E. Moore, M. Inst. C.E., H. J. Daniels, C. B. Petersen, and W. 0. Wise. The Late J. B. Walker. The Chairman (Mr. T. Stephens) said he had to call the attention of those present to the handsome por- trait of the late J. B. Walker, which had become the property of the society through the kind instrumentality of Mr. Beattie. Mr. Stephens became ac- quainted with Mr. Walker in connection with a prize won by that gentleman for a poem written in the early sixties. A few years later he became acquainted with Mr. Walker personally, and he knew him from that time to the end. Mr. Walker was prominently known in connection with many good works, and his connectio'n with the Royal Society was intimate and singularly honourable. The society was, therefore, deeply in- debted to Mr. Beattie for his kindly and valuable gift. Colonel Legge, R.A., read a paper on ''The Birds of Australia: Birds, Nests, and Eggs," for Mr. A. J. Campbell, of Victoria. The paper was illustrated by a very interesting and complete series of lantern slides. '"The Falls of Niagara as a Geological Chronometer," by Professor E. G. Hogg, M.A. The lantern slides shown were in- teresting, and the paper contained much matter of scientific value. Opening with some remarks tending to show how profoundly the natural drainage system of a country was modified by th.3 country's glaciation. Professor Hog>^ proceeded to the description of the gla- ciated area of the United States, par- ticularly as to the locality of the Great Lakes and the immediate neighbourhood of Niagara. The original ice-sheet here, he said, was estimated roughly to have had a thickness of about 30,000 feet. Various details were given show- ing the difference that has resulted in the contour and formation of the Gre it Lakes region since pre-glacial timers, and so the broad influences which re- sulted in the making of Niagara wer« traced. The lecturer closed with som*? account of the condition and history of the Falls — whose actual age is variously estimated bv opposing geological schools at from 7,000 to 30,000 years. The meeting alo'sed with votes of thanks to authors of papers. JULY, 1900. No meeting. IV AUGUST, 1900. The monthlj' meeting of the Royal So- ciety was held at the Museum on Monday August 13, His Excellencj'- the Adminis- trator, Sir John Dodds, C.J., presiding. Before the proceedings commenced Mr. T. Stephens, M.A., F.G.S., speak- ing as a vice-president, said that, on a former occasion, the society had congratulated His Honor, Sir John Dodds, on the distinctions con- ferred upon him in recognition of high services rendered in the course of a long public career. Any honourable distinc- tion of this kind reflected credit not only on the recipient, but also on the country to which he belonged, and the institu- tions in whose welfare he had personally interested himself. On behalf of the Fellows of the Royal Society, of which His Honor would now become President, he desired to tender their hearty con- gratulations on the rank and position he was again about to assume as Adminis- trator of the colony. (Hearty applause.) Sir John Dodds, in reply, said: — Mr. Stephens, Ladies and Gentlemen,— ?! am taken completely by surprise. I cifd not know that I was to receive, nor did I ex- pect, this further mark of your kindness. It adds to the many obligations under which my fellow-colonists have placed me, and I thank you very sincerely for the generous approval that you have given to the more than kind words in which Mr. Stephens has offered your con- gratulations. In whatever office it has pleased the people of Tasmania to place me, I have endeavoureu to discharge the duties of that office to the best of my abi- lity, and I most gratefully acknowledge and appreciate the encouragement and as- sistance that I have invariably received from the people amongst whom I have lived the greater part of my lue. (Warm applause.) Apologies were received from the senior ▼ice-president, S'r James Agnew, K.C.M.G., and Mr. A. G. Webster, re- gretting that, owing to ill-health, they were unable to attend. NEW MEMBERS. The following gentlemen were elected members of the society : — Rev. W. R. Cunningham, Messrs. Thos. Bennison, Wm. Burn, C. B. Target, C.E., of Hobart, and Mr. W. J. Norton Smith, of Burnie. PAPERS. MAGNETIC SURVEY OF TASMANIA. Professor E. G. Hogg, M.A., of the Tas- manian University, read a paper, which was illustrated by some specially-prepared lantern slides, entitled "The Proposed Magnetic Survey of Tasmania." The writer said the discovery of the approximate position of the Southern Magnetic Pole by Sir James Ross, in 1840, was largely instru- mental in causing Hobart to be se- lected by the Royal Society of London as the station of observation of the scientific expedition sent out under its auspices in the early forties, to investi- gate magnetic phenomena in this part of the Southern Hemisphere. Detailed magnetic observations were carried out in Hobart under the superintendence of Lieutenant Kay, R.N.^ from 1842 to 1850. During this period both the mag- netic dip and the horizontal intensity passed through minimum values, though not in the same year, while the mag- netic declination was found to be steadily increasing at the rate of about limin. per annum. Dr. Neumayer, who had been investigating magnetic phenomena for some years in Victoria, and had carried out a magnetic survey of that country, visited Hobart in 1868. He found the magnetic declination of Hobart to be lOdeg. 25min. 9sec. E., a value not far removed from that calcu- lated from Kay's observations on the rate of variation. The next determina^ tion of the declination was made by His Excellency Sir J. H. Lefroy, in 1881. He found it to be 8deg. 49min. E., or, rather more than 2deg. in defect of the value computed from Kay and Neu- mayer's observations. The explanation of this difference is probably to be found m the fact that, shortly after Neu- mayer^s determination of the declina- tion, it attained it-s maximum easterly value, and has since that time been slowly moving towards the west. Since 1881 no further observa- tions on the magnetic elements of Hobart appear to be available, and some considerable uncertainty exists as to their value at Hobart, and their an- nual rate of change. Absolute magne- tfb observations have been carried on without intermission in Victoria since 1858. During each of the past two years the New Zealand Government has voted the sum of £500 for the purposes of the magnetic survey of that colony, and considerable progress has been made. During the. coming summer Professors McAulay and Hogg propose to begin a magnetic survey of Tas- mania, a set of instruments of the latest pattern having been placed at their dis- posal by the University of Sydney through, the kind offices of Professor Pollock. They intend to limi^ their work this summer to the absolute de- termination of the magnetic elements at the following selected stations : — Ho- bart, Port Esperance, Port Davey, Stra- han, Mt. Lyell, Wynyard, Longford, Scottsdale, St. Helen's, Spring Bay, and possibly Oatlands. From the ob- servations made at these widely distri- buted stations they hope to be able to construct a rough magnetic map of Tasmania, showing the approximate positions of the lines of equal magnetic declination, dip, and horizontal in- tensity. To ascertain the annual rate of variation of the magnetic elements it will be necessary to re-determine their values after the lapse of a few years. In order that their work may be easily available to future observers, and may also be of assistance to surveyors. Profes- sors McAulay and Hogg have applied to the Government for a grant of £150 to enable them to erect suitable perman- ent marks en the sites of observation, ■and to defray other expenses incidental to the survey. If this grant of pub- lic money is made it is proposed that ihe work of the survey shall be carried out in co-operation with the Surveyor- General's Department. In addition to the magnetic observations at the select- ed stations, it is intended to lay out at each place the true geographical meri- dian, and to determine the bearings re- lative to the site of observation, of any prominent landmarks, etc. A detail- ed description of each site of observa- tion will be lodged with the Surveyor- Creneral. The paper dwells briefly with the im- portance to navigation and surveying of a correct knowledge of the magnetic de- clination. It points out that if the rate of variation of the magnetic elements of Tasmania were once determined it might be possible, by examination of the magnetic records of Victoria and New South Wales, to learn approxi- mately the value of the elements in Tasmania in the recent past, and by connecting the present observations with those made in the past form a fairly accurate conception of the mag- netic history of Tasmania during the last 60 years. A letter was received from Mr. Coun- sel, Surveyor-General, indicating that he supports Professor Hogg's views. The Treasurer (Hon. B. S. Bird) said he felt that the work proposed to be under- taken was very important, and Ministers had placed .£150 on the estimates towards the cost of this magnetic survey, so im- portant in connection with navigation and scientific surveying. (Applause.) He moved a vote of thanks to Professor Hogg, which was very heartilv accorded. Mr. Stephens, in reference to Professor Hogg's mention of the record which he had sent him of the magnetic variation in 1839, said that he had received the re- cord from the late Mr. Molesworth Jeffrey, who was with Sir John Franklin when he took the observation at Lachlan, near New Norfolk. This was in 1881, when he (Mr. Stephens), being engaged on the revision of the old map of Tas- mania, had reported to the Government that, if there were much longer delay in reconciling the survey system of the colony, which Avas based on magnetic lines, with the true bearings established by the trigonometrical survey, inextric- able confusion would be the result. The matter was taken up by Sir Henry Le- froy, and a reform of the survey system initiated by the Government, wnich, though interrupted by a change of Minis- try, is now progressing as satisfactorily as is possible under existing circum- stances. In connection with Professor Hogg's mention of causes of local varia- 1011 Mr. Stephens ciced a remarkable instance of the deflection of the compass needle, which he had note^i on the sum- mit of a peak in the Midland district, and recommended Rocky Cape, Badger Head, and a point between Bridport and Cape Portland as being, with Port Dayey, the best sites for magnetic observations in Tasmania, so far as freedom from ele- ments of local disturbance is concerned. MUSEUMS AND ABORIGINALS. The Bishop of Tasmania read a paper entitled. Notes on a Visit to the Museums at Perth and Adelaide, with special refer- ence to the Blacks of West Australia, as follows: — "During a recent visit to West Austra- lia and South Australia, I found time to visit the Museums, and to discourse with the curators. I think a few observations will be of interest. "I was struck here by the immense VI ntnonnt of work still to be done in many departments of science, iiie botany of West Australia has been apparently weil studied, but there are fields of science virtuall}' unexplored — shells, insect life, and, perhaps fauna; for these a great deal has to be done. Cut there is yet another department needing attention, and that without delay. The crying need in West Australia seems to be for a small bod}' of men Avho would study the habits and customs of the aboriginals of the colonj'. In no colony in Australia are they so numerous, and in no colony have they been so little studied. The reason is obvious. For the last ten years this colony has been engaged in the tremen- dous task of providing the resources of civilisation for a quadrupled population, and before that period the colonj- \vas small in number, and oppressed with the state of too much land area. The Go- vernment, however, is most generous to science, as a yearly grant now raised to je4,000 to the Museum in Perth testifies ; and theie is no reason now whj- this press- ing dutj^ in regard to the natives should not be taken in hand effectively. I put the ciiiestion, indeed, to Dr. Stirling, in Adelaide, whether there was still room for a work on tue i31acks of West Aus- tralia commensurate with such books as those of Eoth, of Spencer and Gillen, and of the Horn Expe- dition. Dr. Stirling answered in the affirmative without hesitation, adding that, though the Australian black all through the continent is the same person, yet the effect of a long western coast line of thousands of miles with the food it gave, and the habits it fostered, must make us look forward with the deepest interest to th,e work on the blacks of this vast region, which has still to be written; and as the native population tends to diminish, I ventured to urge the question in Perth, suggesting, indeed, that steps should soon be taken to found a Koyal Society, which does not at present exist. I went further and reminded them of the meeting in Hobart of the Science Associa- tion in 1902, and I even proceeded to sug- gest that West Australia might make a bold move, and try, at all events, to in- duce the Australasian Association to visit Perth in 1904. "It seemed also a fitting opportunity to remind the Museum authorities and the Public Library, that possibly large ciuan- tities of historical material might soon be lost or removed to Sydney or Melbourne, unless they turned their attention to old records of the colonv. "1 now proceed to give some account of the blacks of West Australia, their num- bers, and the steps taken for their wel- fare. Two years ago the blacks were un- der the charge of an Aborigines Board, but this has now become a regular Go- vernment department, and in 1899 the first Government report under the new management was published, Mr. Prinseps being the Protector of the aborigines. Last year nearly ,£11,000 was spent by the Government on 'he natives, chiefly in the distribution of food to the aged and infirm, and in their own camps, blankets also forming a large item. There is a travelling inspector, who understands the dispensing of simple medicines. As to the numbers of natives in the colony, the following is the latest calculation: — Em- ployed bv settlers, 4,740; in receipt of relief, 868; self-supporting, 6,690. This makes a total of 12,300, exclusive of what may be called wild blacks^ chieflj^ in the Kimberley district. They are numerous there, and of fine physique. The total number of blacks now in the colony of West Aus- tralia is computed to be 30,000. It will be of interest also to note what is the number in other colc-nies. Apparently the following are the latest figures: — New South Wales, pure blacks, 3,230; New South Wales, half-castes, 3,661 ; Queens- land, computed, 20.000; Victoria comput- ed, 479; South Australia (in the North- ern Territory chiefly i, iiu,000; in all, 80,000 in the continent of Australia. "It will be noted that the colony which has the largest number of this interesting- race has still its scientific work to do among them. Indeed, up to the present there has been no regular svsteni for photographing or measuring the natives at the prison at Eottnest, although for years blacks have been kept in confine- ment here, brought from all parts of the colonj^ I believe this first step is now to be taken. With regard to areas of land reserved for blacks, I note that 890, o^a acres are put aside for this purpose, one block in Kimberley being 700,000 acres. By far the largest portion of this reserved ground is simply left for the blacks to roam over, and they are undisturbed in it. There are, of course, a good many questions of extreme interest which have to be faced by the Government. "I believe there is no doubt that public opinion is becoming more and more direct- ed to the welfare of the native popula- tion. There is much less chance of their ill-treatment, and cases of injury are more quickly detected, and the offend- ers punished. A great many of the blacks, chiefly in the proximity of a white population are becoming dreadr\illy and distressingly diseased, and owing to their nomadic habits and their impatience of regular control in hospital, it is hard Vll to know how to grapple with some of the worst forms of mischief. Even the dis- tribution of blankets has its evil side by inducing the blacks to give up their na- tive habits, which were better suited to their condition. Again, when a district becomes settled by white men some of the wisest of the settlers have come to see that it is their duty to provide work and food for all the olacKs in that district, since the game has begun to disappear, and it is a fact, I believe, in some places that work is found for all the blacks, whether their aid is really needed or not. There is a conflict of opinion also whether the system of contract labour is the best. In this case, the native is bound to the settler for a certain period, and may not leave him, whilst the em- ployer is bound to treat his black ser- vants kindly. But it is also found that if a boy does run away, he is never any good afterwards if he is forciblj^ brought back, and if a simpler form of contract were possible with this nomadic race some think it might be better for both parties. "It is well-known that there are several establishments under more than one re- ligious denomination where the natives are cared for ; New Norcia, under the Roman Catholics, is well known through- out Australia. The Swan Eiver settle- ments, under the Anglican Church, are also doing good work ; and there are others. Two questions of general interest are worth mentioning. First, the problem of the half-caste popu- lation. In some districts this class is increasing, and is at present uncared for to any great extent. The other problem is a very perplexing one, namely, what to do with native girls, brought up from childhood in such a mission as that on the Swan Eiver. At present they are sent into the world, at 16, with only often very sad results, indeed. It looks as if native young women of this age are quite unfit to be turned loose on society, and really need another establishment, where they could be usefully employed till 25 at least. Enough has been said, I think, to show what a large field of work presses for workers in West Australia. "One request I pass on to Mr. Morton from the Curator at the Perth Museum, namely, that the Perth Museum may be permitted to get a cast of a Tasmanian native's skull. ADELAIDE MUSEUM. "The change to the Museum in Ade- laide, as regards the study of tne natives, was great, indeed. Probably there is no such collection of native weapons and properties as in the Museum there. A very large room is filled with cases m double and treble rows, illustrat- ing every department of their life ; and what IS still more striking is the classifi- cation of objects. Each district in Aus- tralia, and sub-district, has its own cabi- net. Yet wonderful as this collection is. Dr. Stirling was of opinion that it could still be equalled, if not surpassed, bv those who could afford to conduct expeditions into the interior; but it would be at great cost. Dr. Stirling told me that he would be glad to furnish us with a col- lection of certain number of aboriginal weapons and properties, if Mr. Morton would apply for them. In conclusion, I beg to state that I put myself into communication with two gentlemen who could aid us in the scien- tific study of the natives, Mr. Campbell, of the Geological Survey Department of West Australia, one of the few gentlemen who has taken a deep interest in native habits and customs, xie has promised us a paper ere long. Mr. Foelsche, Inspec- tor of Police at Palmerston, Northern Territory, has taken photographs during a course of years of all types of natives in the North. I ventured to write to him to ask if he could supply the Museum with a representative set. "I heard a curious story at Albany, fuller details of which I hope, in due time, to receive from Mr. Wright, the magistrate at Albany. This gentleman says that a party of six blacks were brought into Albany about four years ago from the Frazer Range, charged with murder. They were very small — not much over 4ft. high, and they all had six fingers and six toes. No one could talk their language, and after some days they were dismissed, and I regret to say that no one thought of photographing them. I gather from a Government report that the blacks in the Frazer Range do not number more than 100 now, but it is clear that there is a great deal yet to learn about the natives in the Western regions of the Australian continent.'^ CHEMISTRY AND MINERALOGY. Mr. W. A. McLeod, B.A., B.Sc, Lec- turer on Chemistry and Mineralogy at the Tasmanian University and the Hobart Technical School, read some notes, giving a description of some interesting rocks col- lected at Cape Adare during the recent Antarctic expedition. LIGHT RAILWAYS FOR TASMANIA. Mr. G. E. Moore, M. Inst. C.E., read a paper entitled "A System of Light Rail- ways for Tasmania."' He strongly recom- mended the more extended use of light railways in Tasmania to open up the country, especially in view of the success vm of the working of the Dundas light line. Considering the rough nature of the country on the West Coast, it might be fairly conceded that in other parts of the country a 2ft. 6in. gauge light line (which he most favoured), might be constructed at about ^2,000 per mile. Such lines would be very useful in serving country districts; a light or narrow-gauge line would pay in- terest on capital, whilst a standard-gauge line would never pay expenses. Adjacent land benefiting by a light line, and in- creased in value, should be assessed ac- cordingly to assist in paying for the same. A light 2ft. 6in. gauge railway would be a great boon in bringing about better com- munication between the East Coast and the capital. Hon. A. Murray, M. Inst. C.E., M.L.C. (Surveyor-General of the Straits Settle- ments), made some observations on the paper read by the Bishop of Tas- mania, especially in regard to the natives of Ceylon and the ruins of the ancient cities, and Tanks, of Anuradhapura and Pollonarua, in the North Central Pro- vince, where a teeming population on e' existed, but which had disappeared owing to hostile incursions of the Tamils from Southern India, who drove the Singhalese from their homes and fields, and destroy- ed their magnificent network of irriga- tion reservoirs or tanks. Mr. Murray also spoke of the great benefit light railways would be to the colony, if more generally availed of, and he had been over every part of it. Tasmania, from what he had observed, had reason to be proud of her railways, and their management. (Ap- plause.) Notwithstanding the annual losses sustained in the working of some of the lines, he believed they would ulti- mately prove to be a splendid asset a« the country became more opened up and settl- ed upon. Mr. Moore had stated that the narrow gauge line from Williamsford to Zeehan had only cost ,£2.800 a mile. Here was a line that in 1899 earned approxi- mately ^6,000. Out of this c£4,000 went for working expenses, leaving a profit of ^2,000, or about 3.20 per cent, on the capital expended in construction. That was a very satisfactory result, reflecting credit on the able General Manager and his staff. He expressed regret at having to leave the colony, which he admired so mu^ch, and where he had been so very kindly treated. He hoped to return to it some day. He wished the colony every success. (Hearty applause.) Votes of thanks to the readers of the papers concluded the meeting. Mr. Nat. Oldham rendered valuable as- sistance in manipulating the lantern ■'/or the exhibition of me slides. IX SEPTEMBER, 1900. The usual monthly meeting of the Itoyal Society of Tasmania was held on Monday at the Museum, Argy^e-street. The Administrator of the Government. Sir John Dodds, presided. LIGHT RAILWAyS FOR TASMANIA. A discussion took place on a paper pr3- viously read by Mr. G. E. Moore, M.I. C.E., on "A system of light railways fo'- Tasmania." Hon. C. H. Grant, M.L.C., said he did not quite agree with all Mr. Moore s views. With regard to his classification, he thought it was somewhat artificial. He thought the classification ought to be one of railways, irrespective of the gauge, and that the term "standard" should not be used. In Spain, the gauge, was 9ft. 9in., and in Canada it was 5ft. 6in.. and these were the stan- dards in those countries ; 3ft. Gin. was the gauge in South Africa, and in seve- ral of the Australian colonies, including Tasmania. There was a 3ft. Sin. gauge prevalent on the Continent of Europe, and it was also in use in India. The term "standard" was only applicable to localities. Steam tramways, he thought, ought to be dealt with apart from rail- ways. There were several steam tram- ways on the West Coast, though Mi'. Moore seemed to say there were none in this colony. Light railways could be made important feeders of main lines, and he preferred them to steam tram- ways (which were not much cheaper) be- cause they saved break of gauge. Mr. Moore surprised him by his estimate of the cost of transhipment. In Franc" it was 4d. a ton, and here it would '• e 6d. or 7d. Light railways recommended themselves if managers were not afraid to manage them. The gradients and curves, of course, ought to fit the na- ture of the country, and they ought to be worked with light engines, nnd at low speed. The maintenance ought to be in proportion to its capital cost. He should very much prefer to see the rail- way system of this colony extended by light railways, and these improved as time went on, and necessity arose. En- gineers had acted on this principle, but the managers, influenced by the public, made the lines do more work than the engineers had intended. Mr. Moore spoke of people being rated along the line. That was tried in the Western railway, but no politician would revert to such a system. He preferred privat? to State ownership of railways. In other countries private enterprise had done more for the community in the matter of railways than the State. Tramways should be devoted to special objects, and the North-East Dundas "tramway" he regarded as a railway. He urged that special attention should be paid +o surveys, and thus months of construction might be saved. Mr. J. Fincham agreed with much that Mr. Grant had said. The term "b'ghb"' railway was one of relative significance. He did not like the word "light," because it suggested flimsiness. "Light traffic rail- way" would, perhaps, be more accurate. The total cost of the Tasmanian railways compared favourably with the cost of the railways on the mainland of a cor- responding character. To Mr. Nicholas Brown was due the credit of having first suggested the making of light railways in Tasmania. But the system was op posed by managers and others, and rail- ways of a normal character were made. He spoke disapprovingly of over-build- ing for a limited traffic, and warmly ad- vocated the making of light pioneer and feeder lines (not suckers) at a minimum cost. He spoke of the conditions un- der which a break of gauge might be made, and^ suggested how expense on stations might be reduced. He esti- mated the light lines, such as he advo- cated, could te made at half the cost of normal lines. All future develop- ments of the railway system here ought to be made with single goods lines, such as he had spoken of. Mr. C. B. Target said there was the question of making a railway by Go- vernment agency, instead of b^r a com- pany, involving a saving in directors' fees and in the superior staff ; also a Go- vernment could obtain money at a lower rate than a company, and by employ- ing small contractors, who would be paid only for what they did, the speculative profits, on risks, of a large contractor would be eliminated. He gave examples of the cost of companies' work compared wi^h Government work in India. Mr. G. E. Moore replied to some of the comments made. He said he was glad that, in the main, the speakers agreed with him, and therefore what he said in reply was wholly as to details. The Chairman said he thought the pre- sent system of setting off the increased value of land against the claim made by the owner for compenc-ation was an equit- able and intelligible one. The discussion was then closed. RESERVOIRS. Mr. C. B. Target read a paper on 'TReservoirs — Irrigation in India, and Deductions with special reference to the Hobart Reservoirs," illustrated by lan- tern views. Speaking of waste weirs, he said that ''one of the important subsi- diary works 's the waste weir. I give sections, showing the growth of what was finally adopted as the best. These weirs were originally a piece of ground levelled at the end of the dam ; this was found to wear away, then stone pitching was used, afterwards a wall was put to preserve the level, and avoid leakage between the stones, then a wall at the bottom to prevent the stones from slip- ping. You will find this idea adopted by Mr. Thwaites at the upper reservoirs. Now, although these aprons were care- fully made, hardly any answered ; there was always settlement, so the upper wall had to be made strong enough to stand unsupported by the apron; so I first tried rows of slabstone to bind the work together, and localise settlement ; the success was partial only, as extra scour was created under the slabstones, so con- crete was put under 2ft. deep. This, although an improvement, was not suf- ficient ; so I built walls above the con- crete to a level with the apron, the wall being coped with slabstones, the hori- zontal distance of these walls being the thickness of the apron multiplied by the slope. This system has proved thorough- ly successful, and the flow of water be- ing intercepted by these walls, the re- sult is that the space above gets grout- ed in with silt, making the worli stronger year by year." Speaking of the trouble at the Hobart upper rei?ervoir and Mr. Thwaites's proposals, he said : "The Director of Waterworks very pro- perly objects to building a retaining wall on a bad foundation, and proposes to go down to firm ground for the foun- dation, but with piers only; one of the objections to t^is is, letting the water further into the dam to destroy its sta- bility. I consider there is no danger from filling this reservoir in the state it was in before the repairs were commenc- ed, provided there has been no percola- tion, of which I am doubtful, and that the water be not suddenly lowered to allow a large quantity of soil in a half- sodden condition to slide down above water-level ; but should it be assumed that there is danger on the water side, the way to prevent it is 03" not allow- ing the water to alter the angle of re- pose ; this is not done by the proposals of Mr. Thwaites, who increases the dan- ger by letting the water further into the dam, and increases the weight on the wet soil, so as to force out the toe or overturn the proposed retaining; walls. To keep out the water, I would cut into the dam at the toe till fairly good stuff is found, and relay the soil laken out, mixed with good stuff to an extra width of say 30ft., in Sin. layers, well rammed with iron rammers, weigh- ing not less than 181b., and not more than Gin. in diameter; at one foot in height cut in again for another step one foot thick, and so on. The opportunity of the pitching being removed m^ay be taken to increase the capacity of the reservoir, as w^e have seen that there would be an element of danger in put- ting the extra soil behind." Discussion on the paper was postpon- ed till next monthly meeting. Votes of thanks were passed to Mr. Moore and Mr. Target for their papers. The proceedings then terminated. OCTOBER, 1900. The monthly meedng of the Eoyal So- ciety was held on Monday evening, the 8th inst. The Bishop of Tasmania, V.P., presided! The Secretary read an apology from the Acting-President (His Excel- lency Sir John Dodds), regretting that, owing to important official business, he was unable to preside. Tiie Hon. Sir James Agnew forwarded the iOilowing letter: — October 8, 1900. My Dear Mr. Morton, — Please convey to the Council of the Ivoyal Society and to the Trustees of the I'asmanian Museum and Botanical Gardens my cordial and grateful thanks for their very kind wishes on the occasion of my birthday. I value these pleasant gieetingg more es- pecially as coming from a body of friends who take a practical interest in the wel- fare and management of those two na- tional institutions, which alone keep Tasmania in touch (as she ought to be) with similar institutions, not only in our neighbouring colonies, but in the world at large.— Very sincerely yours, J. W. AGNEW. A. Morton, Esq., Secretary E.S. "^VALUABLE WORKS OF ART." The Chairman said, before the business of reading papers commenced, he wished to read a letter that had reached him since the last meeting. from Mr. r. G. Simpkinson De Wesselow, Gros- venor-mansions, Victoria-street, S.W., July 10, 1900:— My Dear Bishop,— My nephew at Millicent, South Australia, has forwarded to me a letter you wrote to him in April last, concerning the society you have formed at Hobart, and you desire to possess for it any relics of the past his- tory of Tasmania. I happen to have several volumes of drawings and sketches made during the years I passed tnere, 1844 to 1849, which liave been lying packed away almost ever since my return. I am exceedingly glad there is now a chance of their being of some use or 'n- terest, and I forward them to you with much pleasure. They are packed in a zinc-lined case, and I trust will reacii you safely. Amongst them is a panora^na of Hobart in 1848, taken from a spot just outside the Domain, probably now covered with buildings. There are, also, some sketches of the aborigines of Tas- mania (then Van Diemen's Land), located at that time on Flinders Island, which I visited in 1845, in company with the artist, Prout, where we were hospitably entertained by the Superinte^ident, Dr. Milligan. Some sketches, too, of Mel- bourne in 1846-47, then in its infancy, may be interesting. Most of my time was passed at Hobart, where I had an ap- pointment under tne Admiralty at the Magnetic Observatory. This was situ- ated in the Domain, close to the Botanical Gardens ; and, as you will know, a lovely situation. In looKing at- the sketches again, I am forcibly reminded of the beauty of the Derwent and its surround- ings, and of the many happy days passed in delightful Tasmania. I had many friends there, now all departed. Bishop Nixon, Bicheno, the genial Colonial Secretary, Charles Stanley, and others. The Bishop often joined our sketching par- ties, and I am' glad you have some of nis drawings. Charles Stanley was my dearest friend. I often visit his widow, and only a few days ago she showed me a book of drawings by Owen Stanley that she was about to send you. You will see- by the sketches that I visited a good many parts of the island. Lake St. Clair was but little known, 'and our party explored it, sending up a boat from Ho- bart through the bush for the purpose. Also, the falls on Mount Wellington, now, probably, a regular place for pic- nics, were discovered by us. During our stay the convict system was at its height. All our servants were convicts. It was a sad moral stain on the community. "Out of evil Cometh good," inasmuch as» the beautiful roads and bridges could never have been made without the con- victs. Port Arthur was the head- quarters, and, in a sketch of Eagle Ha-wk Neck, I show tne now historical savage dogs that guarded the peninsula." The Bishop said he now had very great pleasure in handing over this valuable gift to the Eoyal Society, as also the volume of sketches presented by Mrs. Charles Stanley. The xion. N. J. Brown (Speaker of the House of Assembly) moved a special vote of thanks to the donors of this priceless gift of works of art, and also to His Lord- ship for securing such a gift to the Eoyal Society. The resolution was carri^^d by acclamation. PAPERS. The Hon. N. J. Brown read a paper on "Federal Finance." The Treasurer (the Hon. B. S. Bird'), by request, moved that a special meeting be called for discussion of the paper next. Monday week, "Further Observation on some Obsidian Buttons," by Mr. Thos. Stephens, M.A., F.G.S. Xll "ObserTations on further regulations made by the Government lor the protec- tion of mutton birds and their eggs'' was the title of a paper read by the Bishop of Tasmania. Mr. Geo. M. Thomson, F.L.S., of Dune- din, contributed a paper, giving a descrip- tion of some interesting crustaceans ob- tained at Cape Adare during the recent visit of the Southern Cross. THE HOBART REBERVOIB. Messrs. C. H. Grant, T. Stephens, and the writer of the paper, Mr. C. B. Target, gave some further observations on the subject. By the aid of a diagram Mr. Thos. Stephens showed the different parts of the reservoirs, and the formation of the surroundines. A vote of thanks to the authors of pa- pers having been passed, the meetinp' aa- journed till Monday, the 22nd inst. OCTOBER 22, 1900. Exhibits. — The president said before the business of the meeting was taken he wished to draw the members' at- tention to a valuable gift that had late- ly been forwarded to him from England as a presentation to the society ; the ^ift consisted of over 200 sketches, mostly water-colour paintings of Tas- manian scenery, Tasmanian aboriginals, -and a number of water-colour sketches of Melbourne and Victorian views, also a water-colour drawing of a panorama of Hobart in 1848. All of the views AV€re done by a gentleman now a resident in London, Mr. F. G. Simpkinson De "Wesselow. This gentleman resided in Hobart during the years 1844 to 1849 At that time Mr. De Wesselow had an appointment under the Admiralty at the Magnetic Observatory, then situ- ated near the Botanical Gardens. An- other volume containing a number of sketches, the work of the late Captain Owen-Stanley, R.N., also a gift to the society from Mrs. Charles Stanley, whose busband was at one time Private Seer - tary to Sir William Denison, was ex- bibited. This collection is, without doubt, one of the most valuable gifs yet received by^ the society. Mr. J. W. Beattie exhibited some interesting photographs. Among them was a photo- graph taken from a cast of the Rev. Ro- bert Knopwood's face, also a photograph of the Rev. Dr. Bedford, who succeed- ed the former gentleman at St. David's, and several others. Mr. A. Mault read an interest- ing paper, entitled "Hobart Society in 1845."' The account, Mr. Mault said, was taken from among the least known ot the elder Dumas's tales, called " The Journal of Madame Giovanni." This journal is professedly written by a French lady, who married a Venetian mer- chant, and who adopts the nora de plume of Giovanni. Though the hand of Dumas is very evident, the reader will soon see that the work is based upon the account of some lady who must have really visited the places that Madame Giovanni describes. A hearty \TOte of thanks was accorded to Mr, Mault for his interesting paper. Mr. Thos. Stephens, M.A., F.G.S., sub- mitted the following notes : — November, 1836. — Captain Lonsdale selected the original settlement-, formed by Mr. Batman on the Yara Vara, as the scite (sic) of the infant metropolis at Port Philip. The Government had commenced building a gaol, and a commissariat store, and the town was named Glenelg, in honour of the Kight Honourable the Secre- tary of State for the Colonies. January, 1835. — Mr. G. A. Robinson succeeded in bringing in the whole of the aborigines remaining at large in the colony, eight in number, who joined their relatives at Flinders Island. — Ellislon's Hobart Town Almanack, and Dr. Ross's Van Diemen's Land Annual for 1837. The meeting then closed. XIU NOVEMBER, 1900. The last monthly meeting of the Royal Society (for the 1900 session) was held at the Museum last evening:, the President, His Excellency Sir John Dodds, presiding. There was a large attendance of mem- bers present. Tne chairman of the Coun- cil, the Hon. Sir James Agnew, K C.M.G., forwarded an apology, regret^i.ig thi-t ow- ing to the state of ais health he was un- able to be present. The Secretary (Mr. Alex. Morton) read an interesting letter that had been for- warded to the Society by Mr. Malcolm Harrison, of New Town, stating that on the 4th of this month he had found a gold- finches nest, containing two eggs of the rightful owner and one of the pallid cuckoo. Papers. The Secretary, in the absence of the authors, read the following papers: — One by Mr. W. F. Petterd, F.Z.S.L., of Laun- ceston, entitled ''On some additions to tne list of Minerals known to occur in Tas- mania." The writer said the catalogue of the minerals known to occur in this island enumerates considerably over 250 distinct elementary substances and chemi- cal combinations. In addition to this remarkably large number, subsequent re- search has brought to light several in- teresting examples, and now the author has been enabled to still further increase this number. The paper briefly enumer- ates 18 substances, to which mineralo- gists have applied specific terms, all of which were apparently previously un- known in Tasmania. It might reasonably be expected that from time to time, as geological and mining investigation pro- ceeded, and the field of observation ex- tended, occasional additions of rare or ob- scure minerals might be brought to light, but it could scarcely be anticipateu that the restricted area of the island would afford such a prolific field in this depart- ment of scientific investigation, as is for- cibly illustrated by the writer's compara- tively numerous discoveries. The more recent careful examination and deter- mination of a long series of igneous rocks has revealed several unusual rock-form- ing primary and accesory minerals, the occurrence of which in this island, the writer says, was previously unsuspected, and, doubtless, as this petrographical work is continued other forms of equal interest will be discovered. The other paper was also by a Launces- ton member, Mr. F. E. Burbury, and constitutes the first part of a series of papers on the Diatomacese, and was en- titled "Contrib'itions towards a systema- tic catalogue of Tasmanian Diatomaceas." Professor E. G. Hogg, M.A., read a paper illustrated with specimens of the rock entitled "The Glacial Beds of Pep- permint Bay." A carefully prepared paper was read by Mr. A. Morton, giving mi exhaustive ac- count of the work done by the Society from the vear 1840 to the present time, and showing how valuable had be n the contributions of the Society to the world of science. To persons interested in the welfare of the Society the paper was of special interest, dealing as it did with the chief events that have transpired during the last 60 years. In limited space it is impossible to do more than mention the variety of subjects that were treated by Mr. Morton. The four departments of zoology, botany, geology, and meteorology were the first that received attention from the Society, and geography was not long overlooked. Interesting mention was made of the detailed work of the Society and its volumes of records. Important discoveries were also referred to, and a quantity of statistical information given Attention was directed to a long list of valuable papers that were from time to time read, and prominent mention made of the active part taken by the Society in various expeditions of research. Among other matters referred to were some of the minerals of Tasmania, and the ad- vancement of the colony generally. The paper is one that entailed considerable labour and reseai>ch in its preparation, and as a historical sketch will form a valuable acquisition to the records of the Society. Mr. Morton's paper was illustrated with over 40 specially prepared lantern slides. The Chairman complimented Mr. Mor- ton on the class of paper he had read. He said that Mr. Hogg's paper was alsa of an interesting character. XIV ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS, APRIL, 1901. The monthly evening meeting (the first of the 1901 session) was held on Monday. April 29th. in the Ta^manian Art GaJlerj', the Presidient (His Ex- cellency tho AdminisitnatoT, Sir John Bodds) presided. Apologies. The senior vice-president, the Hon. Sir James Agnew, K.C.M.G., M.D., etc., and the Hon. C. H. Grant, M.E.C., sent an apology regretting their in- ability to be present. New Members. Mr. F. G. Simpkinson-De Wessellow, R.N., who, since the last session, had presented a number of water colour sketches to the Society, was unanimous- ly elected an honorary member of the Society. Messrs. Frank Allwork, L.S.Al, of New Norfolk, and P. J. MLtLcod. B.Sc, were elected Fellows of the Society. Her Late Majesty. Sir John Dodds, who was received with applause, said that this was the first occasion this year of the Society's meeting. They were all aware that Her late Majesty w^as the patron of their Society, and they were all honour- ed in the person of that pacron. It was, therefore, fitting that on this oc- casion they should record their sense of the loss which the nation and this Society had sustained by the death of Queen Victoria. For more than 60 years Her late Majesty had exercised a personal influence for good which had made itself felt throughout the whok of the Empire. There was no feeling comparable in intensity with the feel- ing which Her late Majesty had en- gendered in the hearts of her subjects, and it would be idle for him to attempt in any way to describe the loss which the nation had sustained, and he thought it right to invite them to agree in expressing their deep sorrow for the loss of a sovereign, perhaps the greatest one they had ever known in their his- tory. Let the example of her noble life abide with them as a people, and stimulate them to greater efforts. (Ap- plause.) Mr. Alex. Morton said an address to the Duke of Cornwall and York had been prepared on behalf of the Society. Mr. Osborne Greene suggested that the use of the Society's rooms might be extended for the presentation to be made to Her late Majesty's grandson. Sir John Dodds thought that the sug- gestion might be conveniently referred to the. Council of the Society for con- sideration, but pointed out that Go- vernment House had been fixed as the place for the presentation of addresses to the Royal visitors, and he ventured to think that that would be more ac- ceptable. Papers. Sir John Dodds then said he had much pleasure in introducing to the Society Mr. Wm. Heyn, of the Timber Depart- ment Admiralty — Harbouir Contract Works, Dover, England. In the absence of the authors, the secretary read the following' papers, (a) Description and analysis of a new species of mineral, "Petterdite," a new oxychloride of lead, by Mr. W. H. Twelvetrees, F.G.S., Government Geo- logist. The author said this apparent- ly absolutely new chemical combination occurs in attached crystal groui)s in a quartz gangue containing disseminated pyrites, in the form of somewhat thin hexagonal plates, which are usually minute in size (about 5 millimetres in diameter), but occasionally reach 9 min. dia., and still more rarely a larger size. It was, says the writer, evidently rare, and, so far as known, confined to the locality mentioned. The specimen, of which a slide was thrown on the screen, was remarkably fine, con- taining about 200 perfectly-formed im- planted crystals. Mr. Twelvetrees said the mineral was a very attractive speci- men, and was easily distinguishable from the more abundant sulphate and carbonate of lead, and was occasionally associated with fine groups of campylite. He had great pleasure in dedicating it to Mr. W. F. Petterd, of Launceston, who had done so much in the work of Tasmanian minerals. The next paper was by Mr. W. F. Pet- terd, who gave a description of a me- teorite from the Castray River, Tas- XV mania. The writer said that consider- able interest invariably attached to the discovery of meteoric substances, and he therefore assumed that a few remarks concerning the recent acquisition of a small but reliable meteoric stone, fully authenticated as having been unearthed in this State, would be of interest. The specimen, of which a lantern slide was snown on the screen, displayed the se- cond of these stones which have been ■discovered in Tasmania, bringing the total number recorded up to date as hav- ing been found in Australasia to about 33 examples. Tho.ie recorded from Aus- tralasia weighed from three to four tons, to that novr described, which was the smallest so far obtained. Mr. Petterd i5aid it was beyond doubt that many had been overlooked. To the average ob- server they were very unattractive, and it was only when they fell into the hands of mineralogists that their nature was revealed. The description of the Cas- tra.y meteorite was: — Type, siderite ; < weight, 51 grains ; size, length, 18 m.m. ; greatest breadth, 10 m.m. ; lo- cality, Castray River. N.W. Tas- mania. It was originally obtained, with two others of like size and charac- ter, by a miner in 1899, when ground- sluicing the auriferous drift on the Thanks of the Castray, and afterwards, direct from the discoverer, came into the possession of Mr. T. Birkett, the well-known mine manager, by whom it ivas presented to the mineral collection of Mr. Petterd. Mr. Heyn, before reading his paper, thanked the Administrator (Sir John T)odds) and the Premier (Hon. M. E. Lewis) for the help afforded him in his work here, and forgave Mr. Alex. Mor- ton for his indefatigable importunity to induce him (Mr. Heyn) to come before them that night. The people of Hobart, possessing one of, if not the finest har- houT in the world, could scarcely con- ceive what the want of it meant in the English Channel. It was to find the piles necessary for the temporary stag- ing used at Dover (England) harbour construction, to enable the laying of 42- ton concrete blocks, that he had come to Tasmania, where he had succeeded in getting magnificent blue gum piles, Tanging up to 100ft. in length, and 20 inches square, at Norfolk Bay and Port Esperance. Oregon timber of the same dimensions could have been procured, but the best blue gum suited the sub marine works at Dover better, on ac- count of its greater specific gravity, du- rability, and comparative impervious- ness to ravages of the "terrida navalis," or common sea-worm. From a cargo sent them by Messrs. Gray Bros, they had seen at Dover that this was the most suitable. The process of utilising the logs was illustrated by lantern slides, prepared by Mr. Beattie. Mr. Heyn congratulated Tasmania on having thus additionally contributed towards the defences of the Mother-Country. He s^trongly recommended the use of blue gum or stringly bark to pave a street as a specimen of what could be done with it. He emphasised the ne- cessity of all timber being cut at the proper time of the year, and properly seasoned, before exportation or use, as he preferred natural to artificial season- ing. He doubted whether our black- wood and Huon pine could be profitably exported to England, as equally good wood in black walnut or bird's-eye maple could be purchased there at very much lower prices. On entering the bush here he had felt indignation and sorrow at the wanton waste and ruin which ignorance and recklessness had caused in destroying thousands of splen- did trees. He attributed this to ignor- ance of the first principles of forestry, and his remedy for that would be a School of Forestry and Agriculture, modelled on the plan of the most success- ful ones on the Continent. Our youth could attend them at the same time as the ordinary schools. He dwelt upon the necessity of reserving Crown lands, and, where young trees were coming up^ the desirability of planting firs, and finally insisted upon the urgent neces- sity of acting at once. Otherwise, in a few years, our timber would be exhaust- ed, and our fruit trade perhaps lost. Norwegian timber which he saw was being imported into Tasmania would grow to perfection in its own soil. When back in England it would always be a pleasure to him to do anything he could in the interests of Tasmania. (Ap- plause.) In the discussion that followed^ Hon. E. Muloahy remarked that Mr. Heyn seemed to know more about our local timber than many of our local men did. Tasmania bad bad to face the fact of the important market of Victoria XVI being closed against her by duties, which practically shut her out; but that ob- stacle would be removed. It was, no doubt, a sin the way timber was de- sferoyed, but to avoid it there was no choice unless the farmers had not only a market open, but means of transit to get the timber to it. Tlie Government had not lost sight of the necessity of plant- ing trees, and already ha-d an order given for samples of seeds of certain trees. He moved a vote of thanks to the lej- turer. Mr. Heyn, in reply to Mr. Target, promised to send particulars of what some Governments made out of forestry. Mr. Thomas Stephens, M.A., said that some two years ago, when in England, he inquired as to the chances of an export trade from the colony, and was told that some shipments previously had arrived so twisted and warped that no one would look at them. The West Australian woods were then coming into repute there. All competent judges said there was an opening for our timber in Eng- land, but it must be taken up by people with a proper knowledge and sufficient capital. He hoped that what Mr. Heyn had said would, stimulate people to get the knowledge that would develop the trade. Mr. Bernard c>haw differed from the lecturer in regard to what the pionee'-s had had to do to clear land for home- steads. Mr. E. A. Counsel (Surveyor-General) agreed that timber destruction was un- avoidable in the pa^t, but now was the time to take steps against it. Mr. Heyn replied that he had seen large quantities of land where, for want of knowledge 'of forestry, the only thin.^ it could produce had been destroyed. He had not alluded to where homesteads with cereals had replaced the trees. He had seen blue gum trees destroyed where the soil would produce nothing else., and that it could not do so should have been ascertained before destroying. It had been done in tiie last few years. Sir John Dodds could not help agree- ing with a good deal that Mr. Heyn hxd said regarding clearing; but it must be remembered that if settlements we:e to be made, and population spread over the country, there must be a destruct'on of timber. It would be a good thing if thf attention of Ministers were given tc the matter of bush fires, with a view to the conservation of what, in the future, might prove a very large asset. Votes of thanks to the authors of the papers were carried. XVll MAY, 1901. The monthly meeting of the Eoyal So- ciety of Tasmania was held in the Art Gallery at the Museum on Monday even- ing, May 27th. His Excellency the Ad- ministrator, who was to have presided, wias prevented from attending by 'slight indis- position, and the Bishop of Tasmania oc- cupied the chair. Congratulatory reference was made to the honour recentlj^ con'ferred upon His Excellency the Administrator. Timber in Tasmania. A discussion took place on a paper writ- ten by Mr. W. Heyn, of the Timber De- partment, Admiralty Harbour Works, Do- ver, on "The present and future prospects of timber in/rasmania." Mr. E. A. Counsel said he was of opinion that some points in Mr. Heyn's paper were likely to lead to erroneous impressions without further explanation. With re- gard to ring-barking, he was uuawaie of that process being carrie-ct on to the extent mentioned. There was no large extent »f marketablti tim.ber of value in Tas- m'ania that was wantonly destroyed by the selectors; they were too anxious to ijene- fit by its proper treatment. Although quantities of blackwood and pine timber had been destroyed in the north-east of the State, it was too far from a mia.rket to pay for cartage, valuable as some of it was. The best land produced the best timber, and especially was this the case in the matter of blackwood. Mr. Heyn'a limited experience in Tasmania had mis- led him into making the statement that very large quantities of timber weie, at times, destroyed bj^ bush fires. This was not so, for, althoug'h the fires traversed bush country, the timber of large growth was, at times, only blackened. The time was opportune for initiating an exj^eri- mental plot, in order to propagate a num- ber of tile most suitable kinds of timber. Mr. L. Rodway said he took gieat inter- est in the matter of planting forest lands in Tasmania. A country could not be de- nuded of its timber without affecting the climate. This was the experience of all countries. In Australia, tbe vegetation was not well suited for the purpose of re^- tainiug water on the land. If planting were indulged in to any extent, exotics must be chosen, and it would be necessary to import. This could not be done, how- ever, unless a State nursery was estab- lished. To establisli a State nursery w£i« a matter that required caution, as there would be no appaient return for some years to come; but the expense would not be great. If we had a State nursery, seeds and plants could be obtained from all parts of the world, but special atten- tion must be given to the varieties that gave the best results. He had passed through the Huon district some time ago, and was astonished at the neglected ap- pearance of the orchards. If a State nur- sery was established, the m^atter of or- chard growth must be taken into consider- ation, and all useful information given to orchardists. Mr. K. E. Macnaghten said he had liTed for five or six years in the district referred to by Mr. Heyn. He did not think the damage done by ring-barking was exten- sive, but the injury done by bush fires was enormous. He thought that Mr. Heyn's advice and suggestions should receive care- ful consideration, and he did not think such a valuable paper should be confined to Tasmania, but that it should, if pos- sible, be produced in some of the English magazines. Mr. R. M. Johnston said he had stated many yeais ago that the waste of valu- able timber in Tasmania was too great, but he realised that the cost of sending the timber to a market was excessive. That was a position m^any settlers had to face, and was one of the causes of so much Avaste. He would like to know if areas could not be i)lanted with som;e__of the foreign soft woods plants, that would eventually obviate the necessity of import- ing such tim})ers. Although there was plenty of certain varieties of timber at present, it was essential that the future should be studied. Discussion of the subject was adjourned until a future meeting. X V 1 1 1 JUNE, 1901. At an adjoiirned iiieftiiij,' ol tho Ko.val Hiihjt'fl anllioritat ivcly. wliich i-o nearly Society (it 'r.i!^nian)a on TliniKday evening, conceiiiH mk a.s Tasrnaniaiis; but 1 aui June Gtl). tlie dis(U».-.ion on Mr. W. lleyn h confident tnat every nienitjer of the lioy- paner on "The present ami future pros- al Society ol Tasmania will feel indebted j)ectH of tinibei- in TaHniania," waH resiinj- to Mr. Heyn for HinkinK liin j)erHonal feel- ed His Excellency Hie Administrator iiiRs in this matter, ami K'vini? us his im- (Sir .lohn Dodds, K.CM .(i.), prc.siiling. pression of our Rieat national asset, and T\SM\\1\\ TlMHl'^l' ^''^ manner in which it seems to him to ' /u..' \ i\ ('■■,.«. mm/ ' have been treated. >v \. ' '. 'ireeiic . i»r-ii i ^ ii i- i ,, f i 4 .,1. r,«. With leisure to the practic;u reconi- ijp he forentry question, now mud. ne- ,„^.,„,„^i,,„ f,,„^ -^ l,,^.,„.J ^^^^ j.,.,^ ^^^ e,. Mr \ (). Green of the K.ulway De- iHJ/li^'xnent of a nur.ery of forest trees ivii. .\. v;. vjiffii, Yi; ',,..1 ,.,,,1 «i,1p With the View ot encouraKiiiK planting partment read an /"^'^I'V .. t ^o ♦ ^' I"'- H'^' pnipone of shelter water consei- ,>aper on the subject. '^';.' '''•' f .,, " ' vation, bcautv and proht, it is one that meeting 2. specimens oi \'^^'^^V' ' » t.'' ' .....inontlv .leserves the whole-hearted beiw abe ed witli the common and scien- i ■ r i i ■ • i i i < «. 4 1 *. ijB » i.uji^iii^u Willi I iK- ' , ,.,>o,.; support, ot this society, and I trust that •tific names weitrht ner cu hic loot, si)ec'i- ,, ' ' ... n r i i i luii llallll^, vY«.ihi.i lJ^. I ,.41,, ' J,,a^.i the i)roi)osition will be endorsed by us tic cravitv etc.; a so some other speca- ii i -4 4r 4 4i i .^t iiL. |{iuviL.y. ^" • " * ^il , such uiiaiiimitv that tlie hands ot inen>» ol timber that ''' > '^'^'' ' '', f "P the CJoverntr.ent , and others interested, to <0 years in the b ate. ,^ »; <' ■ " " ,„av he st . engthene.l to help forwanl the The Hubiect that lu.s l"<'>tfht s ,,;j,.,.t as it deserves. together this .evening s " « <» ^ t, is a matter which has. on several the .very highest '' '!»> » ' ^ ,.* \ • ^•^;- occasions, been ^ ,,,„liiig a paper upon the a.lvantages of o <''%'\V'V"'-^'''' n /np/«l «/l tlVe Dianling conllerje, iving a li.t of suit- the end that science "f"f'^'' ."''''',« Lble tr^es, an.l a light Resume of what goo'\:>;^/^, ''». V.' .' f' w- uses of our timbers, but l.widentally bear- and as stifling t he energies ol 1'^' ''''<; i,,^ on the subject in hand, ants ol the country. It is a phase '^ . . , , . ,- i u through which all counlrien jiass, or have , At the present time, m nianv parts ot passed where there is luxuriant vegeta- tlie island, sand-blows, wind, the lailure tion. Mut all countries in time are fore- of springs, and the impoverishment ol ed to recognise the value of the timber the soil, are compelling people to recog- products which a beneficent nature forms nise the benehcial influence of trees upoi. for us from the atmospliere we breathe. a country. ,.,,., i The fi'rst feeling of mankind about the In some parts of the island, even now, foret^t is that of being overwhelmed by alter our short occuj)ation. timl)er has to it, and trees are looked upon as encroach- ho brought Ironi comparatively long ers upon the domain of man to be got distances for structural and other econo- rid of at all costs. Ihit in every country mic purjioses. lo those conversant with of wlii
  • ed in sinking holes in the locality mentioned. Mr. Petterd's other paper was on some land shells from Maria Island, Tasmania. Coal Discovery at Wynyard. Mr. R. M. Johnston, Government Sta- tistician, read the following note on the Wynyard discovery: — "I had read with much interest of the discovery of coal on the north-western part of Tasmania, near Wynyard, a few weeks ago. Hitherto the existence of members belonging either to the mesozoic or upper coal measures, or to the j>ermo- carbon or lower coal measures, of Tas- mania, was unknown to geologists, in all that region of the North-West Coast lying between the Mersey Coal Basin and Cape Grim. A few days ago, I was fortiinate in receiving from Mr. Victor West, of Wj^nyard, a specimtu of the bituminous shale associated with the newl,v-discovei- ed coal seam exposed on the Inglis River, about 16 miles south of W^3'n.yard. For- tunatel.yj Mr. West selected a piece of the shale bearing a clear impression of a por- tion of the frond of a fossil fern. The typical plant remains of this period are two species of a genus of the Coniferae (Noggerathopsis) ; characteris- tic net-veined ferns of the Genera, Gam- gamopteris and Glossopteris; and lyco- pods of the Genera Tasmanites and Schi- zoneura. The following are the localities- where the lower coal measures were known hitherto to occur in Tasmania, viz., Mer- sey, Tippagory Range, Tamar, Mount. Pelion, Henty River, Fingal, Ben Lo- mond, Harefield, Adventure Bay, and. Mount Cygnet. As a rule, when coal seams occur in these lower coal measures^ they are found to be purer, more bitu- menous, and freer from ash than the cool seams of misozoicage? They are,, therefore, better adapted for steam i)ur- poses and for the production of gas, than the coal seams of the later age, which alone hitherto have been worked to any extent in Tasmania. It is to be hoped that the discovery at Wynj'ard may turn out to be a good working seam, or seams. If so, it will be of untold value to the district of Wynyard, as well as to the colony generally. Mr. West has kindly promised to give me further particulaT* regarding the general geology of this dis- trict at an early date, which I shall be pleased to communicate to the fellows of this society."' Replying to questions, Mr. Johnston said he had not sufficient jjarticulars yet to say whether the seam or seams were of sufficient size for favourable working. Mr. T. Stephens said that at a meeting" of the society in 1869, he exhibited a pebble of hard and compact kerosene shale, found with many others near the mouth of the River Inglis, and expressed the opinion that portions of the carboni- ferous series from which it had come, though removed by denudition near the coast line, would one day be found at no great distance inland. This shale is prac- tically identical with the so-called "can- nel coal," discovered a few years ag» near Barn Bluff. XXlll Astronomical Observations at Capetown Observatory. Mr. Kingsmill began by referring to the kindness of Sir David Gill, the Govern- ment Astronomer at Capetown, who gave him opportunities of seeing the work of his observatory, and made him a present of some beautiful photographic slides, showing some of the most remarkable re- sults. These slides were supplemented by others obtained from the Eoyal As- tronomical Society. The lecturer first gave a description of the Capetown Obser- vatory. It is an Imperial institution, pro- vided for and controlled by the Admir- alty, and it is liberally endowed for as- tronomical research, having la staff of 30 observers. It resembles a village, having a number of buiklinges for the instru- ments, and for the observers" residences. The site chosen was as near the bay as possible, for the sake of the shipping. Formerly, a gigantic time - ball was dropped at the observatory, which was visible to the ships four miles off in Tab'e Bay; now a sm.aller time-ball is dropped electrically close to the docks by means of a wire from the Observatory. The accurate determination of time is a very small part of the Observatorj^ work; the position of stars is deter- mined for the use of mariners; in fact, most of the Southern stars whose posi- tion is given in the "Nautical Almanac" ar© recorded there from observations tak- en at tlie Capetown Observatory. The most interesting work, however, to tie general public is that which simply sat- isfies the thirst of the human mdnd for knowledge of what is observed in the heavens without any reference to commer- cial utility. The lantevn slides shown illustrated in a most interesting manner the methods by which the actual materials of the stars were ascertained. It was shown how irO'U was proved to exist in form of va- pour in the sun's atmosphere, in the atmosphere of the bright star Canopas, and in that of Alpha Centauri. Hydro- gen was also shown to be an element as abundant in the stars as it is on the earth. These wonderful revelations are due to the spectroscope. That instru- ment not only enables us to ascertain the materials of which a star is composed, but it actually can be made to reveal the motion of a star along the line of sight, to show whether it is aproaching to or receding from the earth, and the rate at which this takes place. Three beautiful photographs were shown on the screen of the star Argus, and the portion of sky around it. This, the lecturer said, womld, no doubt, be specially interesting to members of the Royal Society here from the fact that its records contain several papers read on the nebula of Argus by the late Mr. Francis Abbott, whose observations of the star and of its nebula extended from the years 1867 to 1872. This star has gone through the most extraordinary varia- tions in brightness during the last 200 years. It was first observed at St. Helena by Halley ; then at the Cape of Good Hope by Sir John Herschel. It increased in brightness, until it became the s'^cond star in the sky in 1843. During the 25 years following it steadily but slowly di- minished. In 1867 it was barely visible to the naked eye, and the year following it vanished entirely from the unassisted view, and has not yet begun to renew its brightness. The time it was observed by Mr. Abbott it was a faint telescopic ob- ject, surrounded, however, b,y a if mark- able nebula. A photograph of this was shown hj the lantern, taken during an expoi?xire of 45 minutes. A second photo- graph was shown of the same object from exposure of over three hours, and a third photograph from a 25 hours' exposure. In rhe first of these a considerable number of stars appeared in th field of view; ire the second the number of stars was greatly increased; in the third (the 25 hours' exposure) revealed an absolutely countless multitude of stars surrounding the nebula. Many of these are too faint to be detected by the human eye. even when aided by the most powerful telescope. Some groups of star clusters in other parts of the sky were shown, and it seem- ed as if there was no limit to the number of stars that could be revealed in a single telescopic field by photography. The star clusters were, in some cases, so dense as to appear like a continuoits mass of light. Slides of nebulae were next shown, and it was pointed out hj the lecturer that at first nebulae were supposed to be sim- ply star clusters, the diffused light of which could be resolved into separate stars if Ave had a sufficient magnifying power; but modern observations, with the aid of the spectroscope and photogra- phy, show that this hypothesis is incor- rect. The nebulae have been proved to consist of vast spaces filled with glowing gas, which sometimes envelopes stars. These masses of gas generally have defi- nite forms, the spiral being the most common. The systematic study of nebulae may be said to have commenced through the la- bours of Sir William Herschel at Slough. The discoveries that Herschel made were reckoned not by tens, nor by hundrede, nor by thousands. It was left to Sir John XXIV Herschel. the only son of Sir Wil'iaiTi, to complete liis father's labour of extending the stirvey to the southern heavens. He "undertook, with this object, a journey to the Cape of Good Hope, and sojourned there for the years necessary to ooniplete the great -work. As the result of the la- bours thus inaugurated, there are now 3,000 or 4.000 uebuljie known to "us, and with every improvement of the telescope fresh additions are made to the list. Comets formed the next subject illus- trated. Photographic slides were shown of Swift's comet of 1892. In the photo- graphs of comets the stars had a remark- able appearance. Instead of being roxind dots, as in other photographs, they al! ap- l^eared like a number of short arrows pointing in one direction. The reason of this was the rapid motion of the comet among the &tars, which comnpelled the photographer, in order to keep the comet still, to represent the stars as mov- ing. The 'en'gth of each streak repre- senting a star indicates the distance and direction of the comet's motion. The process by which a comet's tail was developed, and the materials of which it is composed, were next discussed. Some further photographs w^ere shown of the sun and of the spots on hi« surface, and the lecturer concluded by remarking on the fascinating character of the studiy of astronomy, and the labour which had been expended upon it from the earliest ages. The student of this subject finds an an- swer to many questions, but as he studie« he finds that many more questions arise, which remain unanswered. Wheni'-e comes the fascination? Why is it that we, who are of yesterday, delight iu the contemplation of such vast periods of time, of number, and of distance — siicli a boundless exhibition of force and gran- deur? Surely, the answer must be "Th« heavens' declare the glory of God." A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer. The Chairman annoimced that at the next meeting Mr. J. W. Beattie would give a lecture, illustrated, on the East Coast of Tasmania, as visited hy Tasman. At the September meeting Mr. A. Mault would read a paper on the timber indti»- try. At the October meeting the secre- tary (Mr. A. Morton) would probably have some notes of his visit to Canada. That would be after his return from Van- couver, and, no doubt, he would have something interesting to say with regard to his visit. Mr. Nat. Oldham operated with the lantern slides illustrating Mr. Kings- niill's lecture. AUGUST 26. Owing to the inclemenc.y of the weather the meeting to be held this evening waa postponed to September 9th. XXV SEPTEMBER, 1901 x!ie moutlily evening meeting was held on September the 9th, the President, His Exceilen^-y the Administrator, presiding, when the following paper, illustrated with lantej'n slides, was read: — ^OTES ON A TEIP TO THE BAEN BLUFF COUNTRY. (By Mr. J. W. Beattie.) The greater part of the following notes on the Barn Bluff country were written under the most distressing conditions im- aginable, both from the tourist and photo- graphic aspects — the latter especially, as it was in the interests of photography that I made the journey. Sitting in a little hut, in the midst of wildly beautiful country, made still more wild, and also dismal, by the awful strife of the elements outside, which, day after day, raged with a fury scarcely imaginable to a lowland'er, and, to my way of thinking, certainly worthy of a better cause If long-continued pleasure brings weari- ness, it c^an be imagined into what mental •state one is driven when the opposite cause is in operation, and day succeeded day in furious wind and rain (the roaring of the wind in the big trees around keep- ing me awake at night), to be succeed eMerse\' River) at about 7.30, on riding horses, the swags coming on in a chaise cart, and we progressed admirably, the road all the way being exceedingly go^od, and with the moon at the full it was a very pleasant journey. The Western Tiers end somewhat abruptly their western trend at Mole Creek, their grand, wall- like formation running southerly from there, and it is this bold terrai:;al head- land that we can see from Pelion, 40 odd miles south, standing out finely, and re- taining almost the same form that it pre- sents to the Mole Creekers on its northern side. From Mole Creek we keep along the main road westerly for a mile or so, turn- ing sharply south after crossing the Sas- safras Creek, and keeping on the Circular Ponds and Liena-road. We fall in with some good farms midway on the journey, the Circular Ponds district representing a patch of good agricultural flat land under the Western Tiers, so-called from the pre- valence of "^pot holes" or depressions, pe- culiar to limestone country; but the country generally right through to the Mersey is barren, hungry-looking, and un- suitable for agriculture. On the west side the road is bounded all the way througii by the Barren Tier, and when the fine form of the Western Tier is lost, on the east, steep, rough, timber-clad hills and gullies prevail, in which a couple of saw- mills do business. It was with some satis- faction that at last we found ourselves above the great valley of the Mersey River, XXVI whose waters, iu the wonderful stillness of the beautiful uigbt, we could hear rushing ou a thousand feet belon% and. l-caving the road, which zig-zags down the great depth, we lead our horses down a "short cut,'^ picking up the road again lower down, and soon we reach the Mersey Bridge, across which lies the incipient township of Liena. The Mersey River here is small, somewhat similar in size to the Meander at the bridge, Deloraine, but differing widely in feature, in that it flows tlirough steep, "gorgy" country, the abrupt head of the Barren Tier, north-westerly, being rather imposing. There is a clear, grassy, flat on the western side, with a couple of cot- tages and a hut. comprising the township. The latter building we took possession of, stowing our luggage and fodder for the night, we ourselves camping about three- quarters of a mile further south in a house belonging to a settler, who, at the time, was absent. We arrived at the Mersey at about 11 o'clock, and by the tirne we got settled in our rugs for the night it was cnsiderably after 12. As the orders were to be up at 5 and miake an early morning start direct for Pelion, we had rather a small margin left for sleep, and we, unfortunately, rather overdid it by getting up at 5.30. Breakfast and packing up take time, and it was 8.10 before we got fairly on the road. This was the mis- take of the day, which caused us so much trouble and discomfort later on, and it is one which all travellers in bush country try to avoid — starting late on a long jour- ney. It's bad policy, and generally ends in trouble. Had we got away at 6 o'clock, as we ought, we would have come out of it with comfort all round. We started with a smiling morning, nice sunshine,, and a siouth-westerly breeze, but as we got up- wards and onwards our evil genius met us, and never left us during the whole of our stay in the locality; the wind went round to the nor'-west, and it blew and rained dismally. Our track lay for a &hort dis- tance along the banks of the Mersey, when we strike southerly into a road running up Gad's Hill a distance of four miles, with a rise of something like 2,000ft., through fine Land generally, heavily timbered, and prettih^ clothed in fern, sassafras, and myrtle. It is a long, weary pull up this hill, well-graded as it is, much of it being in wretched condition, and the wonder was how, in some places, the patient pack horses, heavily laden as they were ,came through it without accident. The summit of this hill once gained, we stand on the northern end of a gretat pla- teau, a divide between the Mersey and Forth Rivers, and the track runs souther- ly along this elevation, ultimately bring- ing us to the head waters of both these rivers, the distance being between 20 and 2') miles. Geologically considered, the plateau has a belt of granite i)assing over its northern end; then an overlay of basalt, with about four miles of a fucoid sandstone countrj', the balance of the dis- tance having a capping of dolorite. At the top of the hill we pass through a cattle station belonging to a member of the Field family, known as "Gad's Hill Station," nicely grassed, where we noted numbers of horses and cattle enjoying theniiselves amidst the plenty around. Through the finely - grassed and wooded plains of this station the track, made by Mr. Surveyor Innes in 1896, really com- mences, and runs in a more or less south- erly direction right out to Pelion, and aa the going here is good we make full pro- gress towards our destination. About eight miles further we come to the Berriedale Plain — another of Messrs. Fields' possessions — a larg^e, open mixture of button rush and grass, rather poor, and very wet, and by the time we reached the stockkeeper's house we were rather damp,^ and feeling sorry for ourselves. However, we m'ade a hialt here, under the spreading shelter of a "gum top," slung the billy, and gave the horses a rest and something to eat, and, in an hour's time, we were off^ again. The prevailing timber of the Gad's Hill country seems to be swamp gum (E. amygdalina), gum-top (E. sieberiama), and stringy bark (E. obliqua), of good quality, while further south no good timber of any account is met with, a very stunted pep- permint (E. amygdalina) chiefly prevail- ing. I am told there are also extensive patches of fine wattle country on Gad^s Hill. Passing over to Berriedale Plain, keep- ing southerly, and rising through dense forest, we break out into what is known as February or Mackenzie Plain. This is a large extent of open button-rush coun- try, broken up into timber patches, rises, valleys, and tarns, and our route runs through it for a distance of eight miles or more, and it is one of the most trying and dangerous parts of the journej^. Exposed for the whole of the distance to the ca- prices of va cruel climate, the traveller may readily be caught in a dense fog or snow- storm, and so be in peril of losing his way, before he can get clear of the pluin ,as the track is ill-defined, and the staking infre- quent, and only those possessing a very in- timate knowledge of the country would be able to find their way out in safety. In spite of. all the associated perils of this great plain, however, it appears, in fine weather, very beautiful, the clumps of timber splashed and dotted over its ex- xxvu panse, giving it a pretty, park-like ap- pearance, and the uninitiated would natu- rally imagine the country to be quite the reverse of what it really is — a veritable barren, howling wilderness, the "Terra del Fuego" of Tasmania. From the high- est part of this plain, called the Divide. which is also the highest part of the plateau, a very fine panorama of the mountains ahead, from west to south, can be obtained. The Cradle Mountain, away to the north. Mount Oak- ley Range and West Pelion, to the west; while b-etween west and south we can see the Pelion, Du Cane, Rugged, and Pillin- ger groups, all fine, bold mountain ranges, while on the plains below us two or three big tarns break up what would otherwise be rather ^a monotonous foreground, com- pleting a finely picturesque panorama. I have, unfortunately, to give these pic- turesque details somewhat prematurely, as they were obtained during the return journey only, the whofe features of the country, from the February to Pelion Huts, being ''wiped out" during the jour- nej out by the dreadful state of the weather. When our partj^ fairly entered upon the wilds of the February Plain the weather turned downright cruel, a heavy, cold, cutting wind, with driving rain, set- ting in, and making things particularly miserable. How we wished to be within sight of the huts ! Riding became out oc the question, so we dismounted, and plunged through the boggy ground, lead- ing our horses, which was hard work, in addition to the heavy walking, for the poor beatsts were, by this time, tired out on ac- count of the wet and thoroughly bad state of the track. The lateness of the hour, also, began to make us feel anxious, travel- ling being so slow under such adverse con- ditions, and our guides were frightened at the prospect of darkness overtaking us while on the plain, the track being so in- definite and easily lost, so we had to exert ourselves to the utmost, splashing through it, and just succeeded in gaining the end of the plain as the daylight almost faded out. Towards the end of the plain, and where it narrows down into a gully-like form, col- lecting and concentrating its drainage, as one of the great feeders of the Mersey, and delivering its waters down into the great river gorge far below,we get a fine and bold angular aspect of Mount Pillinger — or Mag's Mountain — which ■ very pictures- quely terminates this end of February Plain. Crossing the narrow valley of this part of the plain, rising quickly and turn- ing westerly, we stand on the ©astern trend of the Oakley Range, and our track runs, well-defined, down its sides, bring- ing us into the Pelion Plains at Lake Ayr, At the head of this track we are confront- ed with an impressive scene, a vast moun- tain amphitheatre, formed by the Pillin- ger, Rugged, Du Cane, East Pelion, and Oakley Ranges. This is the birthplace of the Mersey River. It is a grand picture, full of food, both for the artist and the philosopher. The one would revel in ma- terial for his canvases, and the other would find his soul lifted up towards the One whose presence under such conditions comes so near, and is made so manifest by His wonderful works around. But our party, at this time, saw none of this beauty. Mist, rain, and the gloom of night, blotted it almost all out, showing only just enough of an indefinite space to leave a vague impression on our minds that there was something grand beyond, if we could only see it. The Oakley Range, where we stand, is about l,8O0ft. above the plain below, and the distance to the Pelion Huts, our d'esti- nation for the night, is five miles. The made road down this range is rough enough to negotiate ordinarily, and the boggy plains still worse; but can anyone conceive what a five-mile tramp through them in the dark would be like? None of our party had ever had such an experience, and certainly don't wish for a repetition. How we got through it so well is a wonder to me, and I can only attribute this to the ability of the packers, in some measure, and, most of all, to the sagacity of the pack horses, who had been there before. Speaking for myself, it was a most pecu- liar experience, for, in the semi-darkness, everything on either side presented the most grotesque and puzzling shapes and appearances, and when we got on the plains, the wavy, white grass, of which I had no previous experience, gave the sur- roundings the appearance of vast lake-lik© stretches, and made things look most un- canny. On we went, however, stumbling and splashing, moving slowly in single file. Sometimes down would go one of the pack horses, and the procession would stop until the order was passed along to move on again, then more stumblings, shout- ings, boggings right up to the knees, com- plete collapses over the wretched grass clumps, wringing wet, and still on we had to move. The distance seemed intermin- able, but at last the sagacious horses turn- ed oS the track, and headed right up the hill, and the joyful news came back along the line that we were at the huts. It was a tough scramble up the hill, but the co^m- fort ahead lent additional strength to our already overtaxed stock, and the shouts that came back from the huts above us, in answer to our yellings, were as balm to our XXVlll troubled spirits. "Get the 'billy' on/' we shout as we climb, and in a, few minutes more we can see the lights inside the huts, and are soon alongside, and our troubles for the time being: are ended; just at half past 8 p.m. There are two huts on the hill, in the timber, one being higher on the hill than the other, and from the high- er one came an old friend — Mr, G. TJenison Bell — to meet us, and we introduced our- selves, to his utmost astonishment. Al- though heartily pleased to see us, yet he thought it savoured somewhat of lunacy to come into this country in such weather, more particularly did he apply this to my- self, with all my photographic baggage; and I believe he was right. Mr. Bell is here, I understand, in the interests of the Great Western Railway Co., prospecting the country. However, here Ave were, right in the heart of the Pelion country, and, wet or fine, we would have to make the best of it. and so we really did. With a splendid fire, a change of dry ■clothing, plenty of "tucker'" and hot tea, we soon regained our normal condition, and felt comfortable, and even happy, al- though the wind and rain roared and splashed outside. Next morning (Satur- day, 6th inst.), at daybreak, we Avere rous- ed up by the packers to knoAv our intem- tions, and. considering our struggles of the previous day, and the fact of the weather still continuing very wet, and no prospect of change, we decided to put in the day at Pelion, and hope for the best. The w'eather was south-westerly, plenty of wind, Avith heavy rain squalls, and a low scud driving across the sky at a tremend- ous pace. However, about mid-day it be- gan to improve, and by 1 o'clock it stopped raining, and cleared enough to allow ns to get outside and look around. The two huts are rather snuglj^ situated in the timber, •on the hill above the track, but a much more convenient situation might have been chosen for theim. Thej' are accept- able, however, in any situation in such a -country, and especially under present cir- cumstances. They were erected by a North- ern company holding some mineral con- cessions in the vicinity, which I shall re- fer to later, and are at present only used as rest houses by tramps, like ourselves. Under the able guidance of Mr. Renison Bell, we set out to climb into the country lying behind the huts — to the south-east — and, passing through a belt of dense myrtle scrub, rising rapidly, we soon gain- ed an open plateau, under the Pelion Range, from which we could pick up our last night's course, and view our pros- pective one to Barn Bluff as well. We found ourselves surrounded by a chain of high mountains forming a basin, and hav- ing a radius of somethiug like four or five miles, Avith an opening to the north and north-west of, perhaps, a couple of miles, vA^here, stretching aAvay in the distance, are open button-rush plains, rise>s, and timber patches, Avith an impressive back- ground of Barn liluff and Cradle Moun- tains towering up against the sky. This great basin, in which AA^e stand, forms the head waters ol the Forth River, and a vast and magnificent gorge, into which the contributions from this basin empties, 13 formed on the open, northern side al- ready noted, running outwards, as far as can be seen, in a north-easterly direction. The gateway, if I may so term it, of this great Forth gorge, is in keeping Avith its grandeur, for, on the east, stands up bold- ly and fully from the plain, the west- ern termination of Mount Oakley (whose range continues easterly for four or five miles, and forms the northern side of the basin), with its broken columnar green- stone formation, resembling, rather strik- ingly, our Cape Raoul; while on the west the fine proportions of Mount Pelion West, with a grand columnar greenstone cap- ping, conical somewhat to the east, but resolving into a great wall facing north. Pelion West forms the western end of the great half-circular chain of mountains on which Ave were now standing, its east- ern termination being a conical mount, with a sharp, natty, gr'^enstone pinnacle ton. called East Pelion, and between these hvo extremities of the chain are three finely-proportioned mountains, one on the west, called Mount Ossa, now named "Backhouse," after the great philantrop- ist and scientist, and friend of J. B. Walker's father, after whom he named his son .James, the remaining tAvo being nameless. The Surveyor-General suggest- ed this name as an association for the purpose of better identification of Mr. Walker. Here was a chance to per- petuate the memories of two of Tas- mania's worthy sons, for what can be more graceful, and also sensible, than the keep- ing alive, topographically, the names of those who have nobly and unselfishly served their country? Tfiis form of no- menclature, in conjunction with native names ,is, I think, most desirable, and I cannot he'lp again repeating what I have often said before, that it is a pity some authoritative system of nomenclature, un- dertaken by a recpgnised body, should not be established to deal with such important matters. The two names chosen by us, and whicli have since been approved by the Surveyor- General, were Bonwick and Walker, men whose tastes and inclinations) were so much alike, and whose sympathies and XXIX energies were always directed towards the advancement of the interests of Tasmania particularly, and also of Australia gene- rally. Mr. James Bonwick still lives in London, and is well and kindly remember- ed by many here who have sat under him in past days as scholars, and whose works on Tasnianian history, relating particu- larly to the extinct native races, are valuable text books on that subject. Of the merits of Mr. James Backhouse Wal- ker, so lately taken from amongst us, it is hardly necessary for me to remind you. I can safely and very feelingly say, that "he being dead yet speaketh. " Not only are his valuable historical researches regarded as standards of our past, but the effects of his great activity in the cause of the higher education of this State bear testimony to-day to his ability and worth, with a freshness and power which appea's to us all. Under Mount Oakley^s eastern end is a long lake, about 1^ mile long, and rather narrow, called Lake Ayr, after. I pre- sume, Mr. Bobbie Burns's "toon o' Ayr." From this lake, and also from a small though voluminous stream, "Bonwick's Rivulet," junctioning with the lake out- fall ,the Forth Eiver receives its primary impetus. The whoile panorama was grand and fascinating, although the wind was bitterly cold, and from behind the kindly shelter of a great rock we drank it all in. Coming clown from the higher j evils of Bonwick, and turning towards its west- ern trend, we visited one of the Pe^ion coal tunnels. The work done here repre- sented a tunnel of over half a chain long, with heaps of coal lying at its entrance on either side Two seams, have been discovered, one 17in. in thickness, the other '26in. Considerable exploratory work has been done towards testincr these deposits, three tunnels in all having been put in, and much trenching done. The results seem as yet to be onl}^ moderately valuable, analysis showing, according to the Assistant Government Geologist, a low ciuality of coal, with a value dependent on the success of the Barn Bluff mining field. The Launceston people seem to have a much better opinion of the coal, their analysis proving, they say, one sample to be a splendid steaming coal, and another sample was admirable for coking pur- poses. It is also alleged that the Pelion Copper Company used it at their forge, and considered it to be the best quality of coal in the colony. However, I think there can be no question as to the value of these great coal deposits, if the Barn Bluff coun- try "pans out" well, timber all around be- ing exceedingly scarce. Coming down to- wards the hut, and the weather still keep- ing fine, we crosse'l over the plain. northerly, towards Mount Oakley, where, on the hig:h banks of the yet youthful Forth River, we come upon the Pelion Consolidated Copper Com- pany's mineral show. There are four lodes uncovered on the property, and partly prospected. Tho^^e running from the north and south assay well for silver, and those east and west for gold, and all down the creek mineral indications are to be found in the country rock, a quartzite schist. The companv ceased work, I am told, after spending something approaching .£1,200 on the property, on account of the utter isolation of its position precluding all possibility of getting their ore out. There are several tons of really good ore. bagged and at grass, awaiting means of transport. I heard that work was to be resumed as soon as the development of the field around is likely to secure a means of communicaion wth outside, and then their fine property must become of great value. Towards evening the weather became again stormy and wet, and next morning (Sunday, April 7) it was as bad as ever, and we had to remain in the hut all day,. Monday, 8th inst., bjoke fine with frost, so we made a start for Barn Bluff Camp, getting awny from Pelion soon after 7 o'clock. From the "branch off" to the Pelion Huts, the track runs through a belt of forest .clothing the southern bend of the Forth Gorge, and then sweeps round in a great bend, under the bases of Mounts Walker Ossa, and West Pelion, which tower up very grandly all round, and ris- ing along the eastern side of West Pelion until the Forth Gorge is cleared, we turn sharply round north-westerly, and have a clear run in that ftiirection for eight miles or so, over button-rush plains and timber patches. .Just as the track takes its uorth-westrly turn, it overlooks the Forth River Gorge, and it presents to us a scene of the wilde.^t grandeur. Photo- graphy cannot conve.v au.vthing like a cor- correct representation o fthe scene which I have not seen surpassed, in all my bush wanderings, for weird sublimity. Here it is that the whole of the drain- age from the great Pelion Gioup, Lake Ayr, and the Oakley Range, form into one united stream, and pass on as the Forth River. From here we can see the great forma- tion of the Barn Bluff' mine, the l)ig knob, standing up finely on the west side of the- gorge, not more than three or four miles distant as the crow flies, yet our winding.^ make the distance eight miles, or more, before the camp is reached. The day turned out exceptionally fine, and we had ample opportunity to see the fine moun- tain scenery around, as we progressed. The jPelion Group, which we were leaving,. XXX looks very grand, the full proportions of the diflferent members of the group be- coming finely marked the further we kept to the north-west. Southerly just clear of West Pelion, the Eldon Range rolls out ^boldly in the distance, and coming further •west, Murchison and Black, and other jhills, which I did not recognise, all show up well, but too distant to photograph ef- fectively. But the pictures are to the north-west, standing up with splendid ef- fect, the two highest mountains in Tas- mania, Barn Bluff and Cradle Mountain, According to Innes, Cradle Mountain is 5,085ft.. and Barn Bluff 5.045ft. I was told that the name of "Cradle" originated from the shape of the mountain resemb- liner a gold miner's cradle. Perhaps that is correct, although I cannot vouch for it. But concerning the christening of Barn Bluff I feel I can safely speak, and I do unhesitatingly denounce it as a vile slander on a noble mountain. No effort of the most fertile imagination can, in my opinion, resolve this mountain into any- thing approaching the resemblance of the most orthodox or unorthodox of barn of the past or. present, and I would like so much to have a chance of giving it a really good name. (How would Beattie's Bluff do?!!!) After crossing a long stretch of plain, we enter rather broken country, leaving our north-westerly course, and coming round easterly, in the vicinity of Swallow's Camp. We find ourselves now in country bearing a melancholy interest, T. J. Connelly, the Eosebery resident, having recently i)erished in the snow some- where in this vicinity, and the search parties were still actively engaged in searching for his remains. Coming down to Swallow's Camp, pitched above the shores of a lovely lake named "Winder- mere." we met one of the searchers, and from him we learned all of the pitiful de- tails — few, certainly, but painfully signi- ficent — surrounding the disappearance of the poor man. It was sad to look back, only a couple of month ^ when I met him in Eosebery looking well and cheerful, and romping with his two litle girls on the verandah of the hotel. Lake Winder- mere, just under Swallow's is a lovely lake, with an area of about 500 acres, and fringed with King William Pines, the shores making effective pictures, particu- larly with the bold head of Barn Bluff looking patronisingly over the rather steep north-western bank ofthe lake. We camp- ed here for an hour, stung the billy and drank tea and scenery to our hearts' con- tent. Swallow has a good mineral show, partly opened out here, and which is about to be thoroughly developed, and he has others in the vicinity. Now that we are within the Barn Bluff mineral field it may be of interest to briefly describe some- what of its geological features. I will quote from Mr. Waller's recent report on the district, which I daresay many of my readers will not have teh opportunity of seeing: — "The country consists mainly of finely laminated schist. The whole coun- try shows marked evidence of prolonged glacial action. Superficially it strongly resembles the Lake Dora district. The rock most frequently met with is a strong- ly foliated quartz schist. I think that quartz schist is a more appropriate name for the rock than quartzite. the name by which the rock is locally known, as it lays more emphasis on its schistose character. The rock occurs in long bare ridges all over the country, the intervening flats and hol- lows being covered with button-grass or scrub, or being occupied by small lakes. I think that it will be found that the soft- er schists are really in greater abundance than the quartz schist, but these being softer have been worn away by the erosive action of the glaciers, and, therefore, are now hidden from view beneath the button- grass and glacial debris of the low-lying g'r^und. Leaving Lake Windermere we rise over its western boundaries, and move across broken country, in a north-easterly direc- tion, towards the Barn Bluff mining pro- perty, about three miles distant. Barn Bluff and Cradle Mountain are seen to ad- vantage just above the dip down into the gully where the camp lies, but I had al- most forgotten to mention passing another lake, lying in very fine bold surroundings midway between the camp and Lake Win- dermere. We called it Lake Andrews, after Mr. H. Andrews, who is the pioneer pros- pector of this part of the country. I was going to say Mr. Andrews' home was at Liena — he cerainly has a wife and famil.y living there — but from what I saw and heard of him I should conclude his home was in the wild Pelion country, for there he is always to be found "badgering'* about. He knows every "hole and corner" of it, and keeps a nice assortment of min- eral shows "up his sleeve" for the conveni- ence of any speculative traveller who may come along. May he "go in and win," I say, for he well deserves any success that may come to him! These two lakes — Windermere and Andrews — for beauty of form, are as nothing compared with the lovely lake situated just above the Barn Bluff property. About a mile in length, and broken up into beautiful bays and promontories, and magnificently backed by Cradle Mountain, it is a subject which I hardly think can be excelled in Tas- mania for delightful composition. Possess- ing so much of the elements of the beauti- ful, and being nameless, our party unani- mously decided to name it after one who possesses, we had always thought, in an XXXI •eminent degree, elements of the beautiful of another and higher type, which we all so much admire and love. I refer to that tenevolent. Christian gentleman, the Hon. Sir James Agnew. This lake, whose out- flow junctions with the Forth River be- low, is to furnish the mining companj- with water-power to drive their machin- ery, and the enormous pressure obtain- able, combined with the inexhaustible sup- ply which the lake can furnish, will be an asset of incalculable value to the mine. The Baru Bluff property, of which so much is heard now, is comprised of two 80-acre sections of a highly metalliferous character, the efforts of the proprietary, up to date, in their endeavour to deter- mine the value and extent of their huge caperiferous outcrop, being represented by about 21 open cuts, or excavations, de- noting a large expenditure of money and enterprise. Here are some assays from some of these excavations, obtained from our Government Analyst: — No. 1 Face. — Copper, 4.5 per cent.; sil- ver, loz. 17dwt. 16gr.; gold, trace. No. 2 Face. — Copper, 9.5 per cent.; sil- Ter, Ooz. 19dwt. 19gr. From across huge face. — Copper, 4.6 per cent.; silver, 2oz. 9dwt. Assay by Mr. Stitt, of Zeehan. — Copper, 6.7 per cent.; silver, 14oz. 14dwt. These assays will give some idea of the surface ^-rospects. What depth will prove has yet to be decided, but indications point to greater values. Vigorous tests in the shape of tunnelling will soon be com- menced, and the results will be awaited with much interest by a large section of the investing public. Mr. Murray, late 'Government Geologist of Victoria, who lately visited the property, makes some in- teresting remarks on its geological forma- tion and probable value .which. I think, is worth a brief quotation, coming, as it ■does, from such an authority. He says : — *'A number of excavations show quartzitic ■schistose rocks, with a general east and west strike, highly impregnated with iron pyrites, and a considerable proportion of copper pyrites. It cannot be described as a lode, but as a great belt of schistose Isands impregnated with ore, some rich, others poor, but, taken as a whole, I con- sider it to be a good, low to medium grade proposition. As to the downward extent of the great formation, the probabilities are that it extends as far as human skill can reach, and from a rough consideration of some 8 millions of tons of ore bearing rock in actual sight, 25 per cent, of which would prove payable, I should estimate the workable ore within 4 per cent, of cop- per, besides such gold and silver contents as may occur. Higher up the •gully, above the Barn Bluff property, is another mine known as the North Barn Bluff. We did not visit it. but could see the workings, high up on the hillside, re- presented bj' a couple of tunnels, with the ubiquitous mullock heap at their entrance. The Barn Bluff Camp is snugly situated in the timber by the Agnew Creek. We found it very comfortable, although at the t:me deserted, all the occvipants being absent on their Easter holidays. Next morning (Easter Tuesday, April 8) found us on the move again, returning to Peliou. under, alas, the lamentable conditions of fog and mizzling rain. Fine weather here seems to be the exception, and as we cross- ed the open plains, where yesterday all around us Nature smiled in kindly wel- come, not a vestige of surroundings could be seen; all was blotted out by mist and rain, and in many instances it was diffi- cult to determine the run of the track, as it is not staked, and those who are not ac- quainted with the country have to be guid- ed by the horse tracks, which are often easily missed. From the yawning valley of the Forth, up its great gullies and gaps, streamed the fog. wrapping up and soak- ing all Nature in its ghostly embrace and as we filed along the plains, phantom-like through its envelopments, our situation was far from agreeable or comfortable. It was not until we got well on towards Pelion W^est that the sun began to break Up the mist, and away to the south the mountains stood out bright and clear. Skirting the er-^e of the plain above the Forth Valley, the scene was grand in the extreme; the breaking mists, twisting, writhing, and swirling, from the great gulph beneath, looked like emanations from some gigantic witch cauldron, and we looked on in admiration. The Pelion Huts were soon reached, and preparations for the return journe.y home made by all but myself. I remainino^ to obtain the bal- ance of photographs that time, and the weather had prevented me from securing. Wednesday April 9, at 7 o'clock, Messrs. Hawson and Boxall left me, Mr. Lloyd having, I had forgotten to mention, gone home on Sunday. I did certainly have some misgivings at staying behind with euch a lot of photographic baggage, in such a wild uncertain climate, and so far from outside help. Yet I felt I had not done mv duty, and as the packer promis- ed to return in a week's time, I thought it right to stay, and. of course, I had good company with Mr. Eenison Bell. How I fared from the time I was left, until the day I was compelled to flee out of it, I have briefly indicated at the commence- ment of this article, and as I have already outrun the length of any decent paper I will fill in the time of my stay with brief extracts frommy diary to reduce length as far as possible. XXXll April 0. — Wind, S.W. Blowinj; and raininff all day. April lO: — Wind, S.W. Blowing and raining all day. April 11: — Wind, west; cleared atter- uoon. Got photo. Mount Bon wick. April 12: — Wind, west. Wet all of scenes in Honolulu, Victoria City, Vancouver, and other parts of Brici.sh Columbia. He advised travel- lers from Australia to England to go by wav of Canada, because they would hear nothing the whole way but the English language. He mentioned that Hono- lulu was the only place in the world where the English sovereign was below par. There, there were no barmaids, the hotels closed at 11 p.m. on week days, and were closed all day on Sun- days. Education was compulsory, and among the Hawaiians there was not a man. woman, or child (of age to leave school), who could not read and write. There were five daily new.spapers in Honolulu. Passengers going to the United States had to an- swer 21 questions put to them on board shin before they landed. He read these, which were of a very inquisitive kind, and sometimes very amusing. One of them was "are you a polygamist?" and he heard this put to a lady, who had just stated in. answer to another ques- tion that she was ''single." Some of the ladies were very indignant at the que.stions. Victoria City, the capital of British Columbia, was the first city to adopt the electric tramcar. Mr. J. W. Beat tie (for the Bishop of Tasmania) exhibited two lantern pic- tures — Barn Bluff and The Cradle ; and Barn Bluff from The GradU. A cordial vote of thanks was passed to the authors of papers. FORTY' EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT. The annual meeting of tbe Royal So- ciety of Tasmania wa® hedcl at the so- ciety's rooms on Monday eveniuof, April 2l8t. Mr. R. M. Johnston, F.S.S., vice- president, presiding. Corresponding Members. The following gemtlemen, who durdng the meeting of the Australasian Aeeocia- iion for the Advancenieut of Science, were presidents of the several sections, were elected corresponding members of the society: — Messrs. T. A. Coghlan, F.S.S., Government Statistician of New South Wales; Professor A. Pollock, B.Sc. Syd- ney University; W . R. Greig-Smith, M.Sc.. Macleay — Bacteriologist. Linnsean Society, Sydney; Professor Mica-Smith, B. Sc, School of Mines, Ballarat;Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A,, University, Melbourne; Sir Thos. Fitzgerald, K.C.M.G., and Mr. Percy Oakden, A.R.I.B.A., Melbourne; Dr. W. E. Roth, Chief Protector of the Queensland Aborigines; Professor W. B. Benbam, D.Sc, M.A.. Otaigo Institute, Dunedin; and' Professor Arnold-Wall, M.A., Canterbury Institute, Christchurch, New Zealand; R. W. Chapman, M.A., B.C.E., University, Adel'aide. New Fellows. Messrs. Chas. Hudson (General Mama- ger of the Tasmanian Railway?), T. D. Mc- Ewan Kay. B.A., and .1. E. Philip were elected Fellows of the Society. Annual Report. The Secretary (Mr. Alex. Morton) read the following annual report. — The Council of the Royal Society have pleasure in submitting the following re- port for the year 1901, and i egret I'hat, owing to the sessions of the As;ociat'oii for the advancement of Science and the International Medical Congress, it was mot found possible to have tlie annual meeting of this society earlier in the year. Meetings. — There have been eight meet- ings during the session, all of wbich were of interest, particularly those in which the timber industrj'^ and forestry of Tas- mania were discussed. At tbe filst meet- ing, presided over by His Excellency Sir John Dodds, AdministratoT, a paper was read on "Timber Couservation" by Mr. W. Heyu, a timber expert, then on a visit to Tasmania, which introduced the subject, and ws.'S followed by a number of papers dealing with the general and important subject of the preseTvation of our natmafl woods, and the cuiltiration of forests, as a national work, by Messrs. L. Rod way, A. Miault, and A. 0. Greene. Papers on "Geology'" amd "Mineralogy" were contributed during the session by Messrs. R. M. Johnston, Petterd. Twelve- trees, and Professor Hogg. A paper by Mr. J. W. Beattie "On a Trip to the Barn Bluff,'" illustiiated by numerous lantern slides, was also read. XXXVll Puiblicatious. — Botauy of Tasmania.— Mr. Leonard Eodway, now recognised as the leading autlioaity ooi Tasmanian boitany, has prepared a work on this subject, which is being print- ed by the Grovernment, who, cm the representiation of this Council, placed a sum on the estimate whicih was passed by Parliament for the cost of printing this important scientific produc- tion. The volume will be largely illus- trated, amd is expected to be ready during the present year. It will be of immense advantage to students, and a stimulus to the studj^ of this fascinating subject by those wlao" lay no claims to 'fche possession of expert kiniowledge. Early Records of Tasanamia. — The late Mr. James Bacbhouse Walker, who at tiie time of his death was a member of this Council, had at different peidods contri- buted some valuable papers on the eaaly history of Tasmania. The Council made a suggestion to the Government th>at thes* papers sfhould be collected -and published m one volume, and a sum ihaviug been passed by Parliament for tLis purpose, the book is now in the press, and will be issued during the present session. The preface to what may be looked upon as the memorial volumne of the late Mr. Wal- ker, has been written by the Rev. George Clarke, Chauceil.^or of the Tasim'anidn University. Papers. — Nineteen papers have been read during the session. Library. — The society lias received the usual n^vmber of scieu/tific exchanges. Obituary. — The society bas dairing the past year sustained a serious lossr in the death of three of its members. Tbe Hon. C. H. Grant, who died in Septem'ber, was a nuember of the society for many yiears, and always took a deep interest in its wel- fare. Dr. R. S. Bright, who died in Oc- tober, was a regular attendamit at tihe meetings of tihe Council, and did all in his power to promote its welfaire. The Hon. Sir James Agnew, the oldest mem- be»r of the societj^, passed away in Novem- ber, at a ripe old age. He was elected in 1841, and always took a generous share in the work of the society. As it is the inten- tion of our new President, His Excellency SiT Arthur Havelock, G.C.S.I., to refer to the work of Sir James Agnew at tlie opening meetting on Apiiil 29, it is unne- cesisiary to aintdcipate what will then be said. Resignation. — The resignation of His Lordship T>r. Momtgomery, late Bishop of Tasmania, was regretfully received by the Council in October last, the step be- ing rendered necessary b^ his departure from TasmAJLia Dr. Montgomery was always ready to help on the 'work of the society, and it was through his Lordship that the society obtained the i;iortfoliog of Tasmanian and Victorian &icenery, painted during the years 1845-7-8, by Lieut. Simpkmson-de-Wesselow, R.N. Tae foldio of water colours painted by the late Captain Owen Stanley, P.N., were also obtained through His Lordship's kind interest. A farewell address was presented on beh'alf of the Fellows at the meeting on November 5, and His Lor 'ship was unanimously elected an honorary member of the society. Changes in the Council. — The fallowing gentlemen have been elected to fill the vacancies in the Council caused by deaths and resignation: — Hon. G. H. Butler, M.R.C.S.E.. M.L.C., Professor Neil Smith, M.A., Messrs. L. Rodway and A. Mault. Fellows. — Seven fellows Lave been elected during the j^eair. Finance. — The income has be3n — Sub- scriptions and donations. £229 Os 3d; ex- penditure, £,loS 33 lOd. Adoption of the Report. The Chairman, in moving the adoption. of the annual report, referred to the serious lose of three of the members to the Council by death, and the resignation of his Lordship the Bishop of Tasmania, the Right Rev. Dr. Montgomery. The Chair- man also refei'red to the work on botany being brought out by Mr. Rodway. ADDITIONS TO THE LIBRARY. The Seoretary stated that the Library of the Society had been enriched by the addition of forty-five scientific works. This collection had been left to the So- ciety by the late Mr. C. H. Grant and had been recently forwarded to the Royal Society by Mrs. Grant. The following is a list of the books presented: — Entomology. — ^Illustrations of British Entomology; or, a Synopsis of Indigen- ous Insects : Containing their generic and specific distinctions; with an account of their me tamiorp hoses; times of appear- ance, localities, food and economy, as far as practicaible. By James Francis Ste- phens, F.L.S. Embellished with coloured figures of the r'arer and more interesting species. Mandibulata, Vol. 1 to Vol. 8, with supplement. London 1828 to 1846. Do., do., Haustellata, Vol. 1 to Vol. 4. London 1828 to 1834. An Introduction to Ento- mology, or Elements of the Natural Hif- tory of insects, bv Wm. Kirby, M.A., F.R.. and L-S., and W. Speuce, F.L.S. , XXXVlll with coloured jjlates. Four voluiiies. Vol. I to Vol. i. Lojulon. 1828. The Zoo'og-ist Synonyaiiio List of ]irit:sh Butter- flies and Moth^. by Henry Double lay. Loud'on 18o9. The British Coleoptera Delineated, Consisting of figuies of ail the genera of British Beetles, drawn in ou^tline, by W. Spray, M.E.S. London 1840. An Introduction to the Modem Cl'assification of Insects; founided on the natural hiabits and corj esponding oa-gaaii- satiou of different families, by .1. O. Westwood, r.L.S. Vols. 1 and 2. Plates. London 1839-10. The Butterflies of Great Britain, with their transformations, delineated and described, by J. O. West- wood. r.L.S., Coloured plates. London 1835. Essay on the Indigenous Fo^sorial Hymenoptera; comprising a, description of all the British species of burrowing sand Ava.-ps contained in the Metropoli- tan collections; with their habits as far ■e.s they have been oibserved, by W. E. Shuc- kard. M.E.S. Plates. Lo;ndon 1837. Cone ho log 3^. — The Lininean System of Coufhology, describing the OTders, g-u- era and species of Shells, arranged into divisions and families, by John Mawe. Plates. London 1823. A Cvmcho'ogical Manual, by G. B. Sowerby, junr. Illus- trated by upwards of 660 figures. (Second Edition). Lond'on 1842. General Con- chology; or a description of Shells, ar- ranged according to the Linnean system, and illustrated with plates, d-rawn and coloured froin nature, by W. Wood. Lon- don 1815. Infusoria.— A History of Infusoria, in- cduding the Desniidiacese and Diato- macese, British and foreign, by Andrew Pritchard, M.E.I. Illustrated by 40 plates. Londion 1861. A Synopsis of the British Diatomacese ; with rem'arks on their struct'uie, functions and distiibu- tion; and instructions for collecting and preserving specimens, by Rev. Wm. Smith. r.L.S. Plates by Tuff en West. London 1853-56. Vols. 1 and 2. Reptiles. — A History of British Hep- tiles, by Thos. Bell. F.R.S., etc. Plates. Lond/om 1839. Echinoderniata.— A History of British Starfishes, and other animals of the class Echinodermata, by E. Forbes, M.W.S. Plates. London 1841. lacobi Theodio:i Klein Naturalis ilispositio Echinoder- miaturn accesserunt Lucubiatiuncula de aculeiis Echinorum Ma.rinoii'um et Spici- legium de Be.lemn'itis, edita et desci'ip- tionibus novisque inventis et synonymis auctorum. Aucta a N'athanaele Godofredo Leske. Lipsipe, 1778. Pistes. Natural History Works.— The Natural History of Anim^als, by Thos. Rymer Jones, F.R.S. Plates. Vols. 1 and 2. London 1845. The (Jcean World, by Louis Figuier. Plates. London 1868. The World Before t.lie Deluge, by Louis ]''iguier. Plates. Loudon 1867. Sponges. — A Hi'story of British Spojiges aaid Lithophytes, by Geo. .lohnstoue, M.D., Coloured Plates. Ediirbuigh 1842. Geology. — Journal of Rcseaa-ches into the Geology and Natural History of the various countries visited by H.M.S. Beagle. 1832 to 1836. by Chas. Darwin, M..t., F.K.S. Lo.ndon 1840. Geological Observations of the Volcanic Islands visii^^d during the vovage of H.M.S. Beagle, 1832 to 1836, by Chas. Darwin, F.H.S. The Structure and Di-tributions of Coral Eeefs, being the first part of the Geologv of the voyag« of t:he Beagle dii'iiiig the years 1832 to 1S38, by Chas. Darwin, F.R.S. London 1842. Corals and Coral Islands, by James D. Dana, LL.D. PLatos, New York 1872. IchthyologJ^ — Natural History of British Fishes, their structure, economic uses, and capture by net and rod. Cultivation of Fish Ponds. Fish Suitable for Accli- matisation. Artificial breeding of sal- mon, by Frank Bucklaud. Plates. Lon- don 1880. Genera.! Zoologv. — Introduction to Zo- ology, by R. Patteison. Belfast 1846. A Cveiopcedra of the Natural Scifues, by Wm. Baird M.D., F.L.8. Plates. Lon- don 1858 Botany. — Exercises de Botanique a L'usage des commencaus cuvrage cle- mentaire, orne de 77 planches. Paiis 1806. A Manual of Botanic Terms, bv M. C. Cooke. Plates. Vote of Thanks. It was u'nanimously agreed that a spe- cial vote of thanks be accorded to Mrs. C. H. Giant, for the valuable don.ation of the above works to the society's library. Re-E lection of Vice-Presiidents. The Hon. N. J. Brown, Colonel W. V. Legge and Messrs. R. M. Johnston, and L. Eodwaj^ the retiring vice-presidents, were re-elected. Revision of Rules. The following members of the Council were appointed a sub-committee: — Messrs. Thos. Stephens, Bernard Shaw, Russell Young, and A. G. Webster, lo re- vise the rules. The New President. The Chairman said it ^vould be very gratifying to know that His Excellency sir Arthur Havelock, a^ president of the Royal Society, intendied to take interest in XXXIX the Tv-ork of the society. The members would all remember tlie very keen linterest their late respected presiden'C Sir Eobert Hamiltou. wheu Governor of xasuiauia. foot in the work of the society. His Ex- cellency fiad kiudly couseirted to preside at the opendug meeting of tne 1&02 session, on Tuesday, the 29th April, and to delivea- the presidential address. He felt sure there would be a large gathering of mem- bers ou that occasion. Vote of Thanks to the Press, On the motion of Mr. Russell Young, seconded by Mr. R. E. McNaghten, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the press, for the very able mainuer in wliicli the proceedings of the society had been publislied. The meeting then clos'ed. TASMANIAN MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY EXTENSION. FOUNDATION-STONE CEREMONY. The laying of the corner-stone of the extension of the Tasmaniau Museum was performed by His Excellency the Admin- istrator, Sir".John Dodds, on March 20th, 1901. Among those present with Sir .John Dodds were Lady Dodds and Miss Gatp- house, and Mr. Warren Dodds, pri- vate secretary; the Premier (Hon. Neil E. Lewis), and Mrs. Lewis; the Bishop of Tasmania; the Mayoress of Hobart (Mrs. .1. G. Davies); the Minis- ter for Lands (Hon. E. Mulcahy); the Hon. A dye Doug' as (President of the Legislative Council and Mrs. Doug- las; the Chief Secretary (the Hon. G. T. Col.ins); Hon. Dr. Butler. M.L.C.. and Mrs. Ihitler; Messrs. W. B. Propsting, John Hamilton, W. H. T. Jirown, J. ^V. Evans. Davenport Hoggins, Ms.H.A.; the Town Clerk of Hobart (Mr. J. W. C. Hamilton) and Mrs. Ham- ilton; Mr. Justice and Mrs. Mclntyre; Mrs. R. C. Patterson; the Chance. lor (f the Univer&itj'^ (Kev. Geo. Clarke) ; Mr. T. Stephens, and the Reg'strar (Colonel T. Stephens), and the Registi'ar (Colonel Cruickshank) ; Captain Munro, of H.M.S. Dart; the chairman (Rev. G. W. Sharp) and members of the Ministers' Associa- tion, several aldermen of the city, and several members of the Royal Society. There was a large concourse of the gene- ral public. The corner-stone is of freestone, from Brighton, and is placed at the north-east corner facing Macquarie-street. The ar- chitect is Mr. J. Shields, Director ot Pub- lic Works, the contractor being Mr. Cheverton, and the overseer of works, on behalf of the Government, Mr. .T. Maddi- son. In the corner-stone cavity were placed copies of "The Mercurj-/' the "Tasmanian News,"' and two Launceston papers; a list of the trustees of the Mu- seum and the Council of the Royal So- ciety, as well as some statistical docu- ments and coins. The building is to be completed by November. Its upper room will be iised as a new art gallery, and the remainder for the display of Tasmanian articles. The silver trowel used was designed and manufactured by Mr. A. Butterfield, of Elizabeth-street, and inscribed — '-Pre- sented to His Excellency, the Administra- tor, Sir .John Stokell Dodds, on the oc- casion of his laying the corner-stone of the new wing of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Hobart, March 20, 1901." The inscription on the corner- stone is — "This stone was laid bj^ His Excellency the Administrator, Sir .John Dodds. C.M.G., on the 20th March, 1901." His Excellency, in commencing the i^ro- ceedings, said: — "Ladies and gentlemen. — Before proceeding to the very import- ant duty of laying the corner-stone of the new wing of the Museum and Art Gallery, I propose to trace very shortly the formation and growth of the insti- tution itself. It is the offspring of the society formed by Sir John Fraiiklin in 1841, and which a few years later became the Royal Society of Tasmania. The meetings of the societj^ in those days were held at old Government House, which stood near the site of the present Town- hall. In the year 1846 the Council of the society, who had previously establish- ed the Botanical Gardens, decided to be- gin the collection of specimens of natu- ral history for a museum. A room in the Legislative Council Chambers was ob- tained, and for some years that room constituted the Museum of Tasmania. In 1849 the Government, recognising the im- portance and value to the community of the growing institution, granted an an- nual sum towards its support, and the Royal Society then obtained more ac- commodation by removing to the building at the corner of Harrington and Mac- xl qiiarie streets, now o«cupied by the Athe- naeum Club. In course of time this building became overcrowded, and th*^ Government, on being apj)Iied to, agreed to grant a site and to erect a yuitabjp building tor the preservation of the ra- pidly increasing collection of specimens, conciitionallv on the Koyal Society con- tributing the sum of Jk:i,r»00. Dr. Milli- gan, who was then Curator of the Mu- seum, set to work to raise the money, and very soon he succeeded in collecting near- ly je2,000 from the Fellows of the So- ciety. This public-spirited action of the Fellows deserves the highest com- mendation. It was an unselfish and splendid effort on their part to provide a treasure house for the educational ad- vantage of all who now or hereafter may desire to become acquainted with the scientific history of these southern lands. In 1862 the first portion of the new build- ing, that which stands at the angle of Macquarie and Argyle streets, was com- pleted. In 1883 it became necessary to appoint a new curator and secretary, and an excellent and very energetic oflficer was obtained in the person of Mr. Morton, then assistant curator of the Australian Museum at Sydney. To his exertions is due much of the success achieved by the Tasmanian institution. (Applause.) In 1885 another advance was made. Up to this date the Museum belonged to, and had been maintained principally by, the Eoyal Society, but it was felt that the time had arrived when it should become a national institution. Parliament passed an Act vesting the Museum in trustees for the public, and granted an annual endowment, and also a sum of ^3,000 for an extension of the building. I had the privilege of bringing in that Act, and carrying it through the House of Assembly. The c»rner-stone of the extension was laid by Sir James Agnew in December, 1886, and the new building was opened for use tsy that good friend to Tasmania, Sir Robert Hamilton, hi 1888. It gave greater and much-needed accommodation for the specimens be- longing to the Museum, and also provid- ed a room in which to begin the forma- tion of a National Art Gallery. The first presentation of valuable pictures to 'his gallery was made by Miss Ada Wilson, and since then this lady and her s'stir. Miss Wilson, have presented other b^^au- tiful and costly works, which h?.ve be»n most highly appreciated. (Warm ap- plause.) in passing, I may mention also that many other, generous donors have presented pictures which delight all lovers of art who visit the gallery. And now J come to the present extension of the building, the corner-stone of which will be laid to-day. Its frontage vill be on Macquarie-street, as you see, and it will ])rovide a new Art Gallery of VJOft. long, and also another room of equal size, which is to be used for the exhibi- tion of Tasmanian specimens only. At the back there will be another room ol 60ft. long, which will became a bureau of information, and in which will be exhibited trophies of Tasmanian . indu*- tries. When this extension is com- pleted the Museum and Art Ga Ivy will be a handsome addition to the public buildings of Hobart, and a monument to the perseverance of those who ba^e so ungrudgingly laboured among us to promote scientific research and the study of nature. In this respect T:i9:a'-»nia justly can claim a proud place among the Australian States. Our Royal Society is the oldest Royal Society in th^s> por- tions of the Empire. Her late Majesty, Queen Victoria, was its patron, rrd hon- oured it by the presentation of autogra- phic copies of her own works. It 'xhs in no small degree contributed ^. o the scden- tific knowledge of what has been called the "Land of the Dawning.^' On its roll of members there have b«^en cnlered many famous names. Sir .John I'ranl-'in, Sturt, Leichhardt, Sir Thomas MiicheP, Ross, Crozier, Gould, ^iv loscpli HooKer, Strzelecki, and many • thers. M(.st of these have passed away, t-itl iheiC are left to us still others who are carrying on the work with untiring devotion. It is invidious to particularise, but I can- not forbear to mention Mr. R. M. John- ston and Mr. Thos. Stephens, as men whose work is conspicuous in quality and volume. And there is yet another whose association with the Royal So- ciety is so complete, and whose services to it have been so great, that he stand^^^ out pre-eminently. I refer to Sir James Agnew. He has been a member of the society from the beginning in 1841, and during all the 60 years which have elaps- ed since he has taken the keenest active interest in its work, and often has given lavishly of his wealth to aid the society in promoting the intellectual culture of the community. (Applause.) We owe much to the Royal Society. It has ob- tained for us by the subscriptions and exertions of its members the Botanical Gardens, the Museum and the Art Gal- lery, anci it has stimulated and encourag- ed a love of art, the pursuit of scientific knowledge, and a desire for a better \\n- derstanding of tke wondrous works of na- ture. I will now lay the corner-stone jf the building, which, I think, is the first public one commenced in Tasmania since xli tlie accession of His Majesty, King Ed- ward the VII /' (Applause.) The Chief Secretary (Hon. G. T. Col- lins) then handed His Excellency the sil- ver trowel, with which he spread the mortar for the reception of the memorial stone. The stone was then lowered, and having given it the customary taps with the polished mallet. Sir John said : — "1 have tested the laying of this stone with the level, and pronounce it to be well and truly laid. (Applause.) In the old country it is customary on oc- casions of this kind that a prayer should be offered in connection with the cere- mony, though I am aware that it is a new feature in connection with such pro- ceedings in Tasmania; but still, it is a good old custom, and a beautiful and simple prayer has been handed to me, with a request that I should read it, which I now do: — "O God, who by Thy power hast laid the foundations of the earth, and caused Thy spirit to brood upon the face of the waters, regard with Thy favour the increase of this building, set apart for the furtherance of Thy glorious works. Guide, we beseech Thee, the students of truth, for whom we have prepared this house, that they may abundantly reveal the treasures of Thy creation, and help them so to labour that all things that Thou hast made may, with one voice, proclaim thy power and glory : enable us by their aid so to read what thou hast written in the books of nature, that we may adore Thy wisdom, and trace Thy gracious Providence in all the works of Thy hands. Grant this, we beseech Thee, O Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord. Amen.'' The Bishop of Tasmania then present- ed an ad-dress, beautifully illuminated, as follows: — "We the Council of the Royal Society of Tasmania, desire to take this opportunity to offer Your Excellency our warmest congratulations on the cir- cumstance that you have attained for the second time, and have held for lengthened periods, the high position of Administi-a> tor of the Government. .\rid we cor- dially recognise the fact that the various duties connected with this high office, when under your rule, have invariably been discharged with a courtesy, ability, and practical interest in both social and State affairs, which have not failed to se- cure the entire satisfaction of the com- munity." The Bishop of Tasmania added: -^"It is with regret, from one point cf view, that I find myself the actual reader of this address. The honour of present- ing it belongs, of unquestionable right, to our beloved senior vice-president, Sir James Agnew, a man full of days and honours, whose riches have for years been lavished upon public objects, and nota- bly upon the Museum and the Art Gal- lery. (Applause.) No living man has done so much for us as Sii- James. He is also one of the two survivors of the first membera of the Royal Society when formed in April, 1841. The other is Sir Joseph Hooker. The society unanimous- ly wishes that the most tenderly revered man in Ta,smania were strong enough tc witness this scene, which would give him such unfeigned pleasure. Nor is it right for the society to omit the mention on this occasion of the secretary of the Mu- seum, to whom is due to a very great 'X- tent this new development. Ministers could not well have proposed the grant that Parliament has made, had they not been sure that the Museum held a high plac« in the estimation of the public es an institution which has attempted in every possible way to interest all classes here, and to sustain the reputation of Tasmania in scientific circles. This e due in a great measure to the work of Mr. Morton for 17 years. It only re- mains for me now. Your Excellency, to assure the public that the Royal Society feel confident that they, coupled with the unremitting' exertions of Mr. Morton, will be able to make such arrangements for the forthcoming meeting of the Aus- tralasian Science Association in Hobart, in January next, that Hobart may morp than support its reputation as a place where allgreat meetings of such a charac- ter are both pleasant and pre-eminently successful. Of couree the work that faHs upon the secretary, and upon the ab- surdly small staff at his disposal, is very heavy, and the society feels that the salary attached to the office of secre- tary at present is wholly inadequate f^r the work that has to be done. They would be glad if some means could be devised whereby a more adequate remu- neration could be made, especially in face of the increased work that must follow upon so great a development of this building. (Applause.) We look for- ward with keen interest to the growth ?jf science and the spread of art among our people in this new century, and pledge ourselves to do all in our power to en- able Tasmania to take her full share m such progress. (Applause.) Mr. R. M. Johnston, on behalf of the trustees of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, presented a handsomely- illuminated address, which said: — "We desire to gire you our beat thanks for the able manner in which you have con- xlii ducted the auspicious ceremony we have just witnessed. It is a. proof of the good work done by the Museum that its enTargement has become, for a second time, necessary; not only for the ijroper display of objects already in its posses- sion, but for the exhibition of a great series of most valuable and interesting specimens indicative of the mineral wealth of Tasmania, which have been promised. It is almost neadless to say that by increased facilities for display, the present scientific arrangements will be more effectually carried out, and will thus afford still better means than hitherto for educational study. We also desire to take this opportunity to offer Your Excellency our warmest congratu- lations on the circumstance that you have attained for the second time the high position of Administrator of the Government." Mr. Alexander Morton presented an «iigrossed address of the members of the Microscopical Club of Launceston. The Town Clerk (Mr. J. W. C. Hamil- ton) presented addresses on behalf of the Mayors and Corporations of Hobart and Launceston, the Town Board of Zee- han. Town Board of Devonport, and the Municipal Council of Brighton. Mr. W. J. Watchorn, on behalf of the Marine Board of Hobart; Mr. Bernard Shaw, P.M., for the Civil Service; Mr. T. B. Blyth (Sergeant-al-Arms), for the Gla- morgan Municipal Council; the District President (Bro. G. L. Swift}, accompanied by the District Grand President Bro. G. E. Mills), for the Druids of Southern Tas- mania; and Mr. G. S. Ci-ouch, on behalf of the T.M.C.A. and the Temperance Al- liance, respectively, presented addresses, also Mr. Wilfrid Hudspeth, B.A., for the A.N.A. The Bishop of Tasmania presented a handsomely illuminated address as fol- lows: — "We, the Bishop, clergy, and laity of the Church of England in Tas- mania, as represented by the Diocesan Council, desire with all respect to con- gratulate Your Excellency upon the position you have been called to occupy as the first Administrator of the State of J'asmania. You have represented the power and nobility of the great Queen, sir, in the last days of her gloriovis reign, and of King Edward also in the open- ing of an era which we hope and pray will be a fitting sequel to the Victorian age in a new century. This land once changed its name in the process of con- stitutional development, and in your term of office it has now transformed it- self into a State, as part of what we fain would believe is destined to be the fu- ture Ernpire of the South Pacific. Whilst we rejoice in such expanding liberty, we note, at the same time, with deep satis- faction, an universal conviction that the truest freedom needs the most strenuous leadership. Just as we desire no timid Sovereign on the throne of England, so also we look forward with conficlence to a long line of His Majesty's representa- tives among us to teach us that high authority implies deep responsibility, and results in comrageous action. It is because we believe that, both in your of- fice as Chief Justice and as the represen- tative of His Majesty the King, you, sir, have taught us these principles, we respectfully and joyfully approach you to-day with our felicitations, praying that God may endow you with fore- sighted vision and just judgment, to pre- side over the destiny of our infant Sta+p, and we assure you of the continued and fervent loyalty of all the members of the English Church to the Throne of England, and to the Empire of that Greater Britain, the growth of which we follow with earnest attention, and of which we hope to be worthy members by the good hand of God upon us." Revs. G. W. Sharp (president of the Council of Churches), and H. B. Barber (secretary) also presented an address. His Excellency, in replying, said he recognised that they had paid a splendid tribute to His Majesty's representative, and that, combined with that spirit oi loyalty, there was also a feeling of friendship towards himself. (Warm ap- plause.) The support and encourage^ ment that he had ever received from the fieople among whom he had spent hi? ife, had been the means of producing all the efforts that they had been good enough to say had been worthy of their commendation. He would have but poorly filled his high office without such support and assistance. He regarded it as the highest honour of his life; it was a tri- bute so splendid that it was very rarely received even by the most distinguished. He again thanked them, and added that upon his return from the West Coast he would take the opportunity of replying individually to the addresses that had been so kindly presented to him. (Applause.) The proceedings then terminated. After the ceremony some two hundred visitors accepted Lady Dodds's invita- tion to afternoon tea in the Royal So- ciety's and Tourist Rooms. Mr. A. G. Webster, in proposing the health of Sir John Dodds, said he felt sure that the Museum would secure the support of the public and of Parliament. xliii Sir John, in reply, said he felt sure it The Premier responded, and the Min- •would become an important factor in the igter for Lands expressed the hope that life of the community, and of great the building would be completed to con- educational value. He proposed the tract time, health of "The Premier and Parliament." » b ON SOME LAND AND AQUATIC SHELLS FROM MARIA ISLAND. By W. F. Petterd. I herewith submit a list of the species of land and fresh water testacea which were recently collected on Maria Island, East Coast. It includes several which have but a restricted distribution on the adjacent mainland, and the somewhat re- markable association of species is of more than passing- interest, although the majority are such as are to be found widely dispersed. The appearance at this insular locality of the local Helix sinclairi is quite unexpected, and H. lottah and H. nelsonensis have strayed far away from their origin- ally recorded habitats. The almost microscopic H. halli is not usually an abundant species, but here it appears in considerable quantity, and is in fact the most common of the smaller forms. There are also several specimens of a new species with little affinity to any already known. Of the two species of aquatic shells, one is quite a new departure in the Ancylus, not only as regards our local molluscan fauna, but as well as relates to the genus generally. Its unique characteristic is the widely-spreading margin of the aperture, a peculiarity not to be found in any of the numerous species of the genus. This remarkable departure from the normal condition, in a genus which affords but limited variation in general structural j^eculiarities, is difficult to adequately account for, but it would appear to afford a stronger attachment, and may thus resist disturbance in a swiftly flowing stream. Description of New Species. 1. Ancylus marise, n. sp. Shell small, thin horn-brown colour, broadly irregularly ovate, concentrically striate, with well marked lines of growth. Aperture extremely large, the margins broadly, prominently, and flatly expanded, thus forming an irregular base of attachment. Apex prominent, ol>tuse, oblique, and sub- marginal. Long., 5 ; lat., 3i ; alt., 2| mill. Habitat : Maria Island, East Coast, attached to submerged stones and aquatic plants in a small running stream. This is a very peculiar form of a genus which has several representatives on the mainland. In its young state it has much the general appearance of A, tasmanicus, Tenison 2 ON SOME LAND AND Ai^FATIC SHELLS FROM MARIA ISLAND. Woods, but maturer exam])les have a constant and unique flat expansion of the aperture, which thus forms a firm base of attachment, and by this character it is separated from all known coiifreners. So far as known, it is restricted to the insular locality mentioned. It is apparently abundant, and was the only species collected on the island. 2, Helix discors, n. sp. Shell minute, openly umbilicatcd, depressed lenticular, of a pale brown colour, finely striated throughout with distant, prominent, oblique riblets, whorls 4, convex al>ove, obtusely carinated at the periphery ; aperture roundly lunate, mar- gins approximating. Diara., greatest, 2 ; height, \\ mill. Habitat : Maria Island, under and attached to stones. This new species is about the size of Helix hobarti, Cox., but differs much in both form and sculpture. Its decided lenticular build, and, for so small a shell, prominent riblets, quite separates it from the large number of minute species of the genus which have been described. LIST OF SPECIES COLLECTED. Aquatic Species. 1. Potamopyrgus sirasoniana. Brazier variety, 2. Ancylus mariae, u. sp. Land Species. 1 Bulimus dufresnii. Leach. Abundant, but not large. 2. Bulimus gunnii. Pfr. Very plentiful in favourable localities. 3. Vitrina verreauxi. Pfr. Abundant. 4. Helix sinclairi. Pfr. Rare; of the usual type. 6. ,, ruga. Cox. 6. ,, legrandi. Cox. 7. ,, diemenensis. Cox, 8. ,, halli. Cox, 9. ,, nelsonensis. Cox. 10. ,, juliformis. Cox. 31, „ hobarti. Cox. 12. „ lottah. Mihi. 13. „ discors, u. sp. NOTE ON HIPPOMEDON KEBGUELENI, MIERS, AN AMPHIPOD RECEIVED FROM CAPE ADARE, SOUTH VICTORIA LAND. By G-eo. M. Thomson, F.L.S., Correspondiag Member of Royal Society of Tasmanin. In June of this year I received from Mr. A. Morton several specimens of an Amphipod crustacean secured by the " Southern Cross " expedition at Cape Adare, South Victt)ria Land They had been obtained by letting down a baited net through a hole in the ice, but there is no information as to the depth from which they were got. The specimens, which are all females, belong to Hippo- medon kergueleni, originally referred by Miers to Lysianassa (Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. xvi., p. 74), and then to Anonyx (Trans, of Venus Exped., Zoology of Kerguelen Island, Crustacea, pp. 8 and 9, pi. xi., fig. 4), but more recently shown bv Stebbing to belong to Boeck's genus Hippomedon. The Rev. T. R. R. Stebbing (Amphipoda of H.M.S. " Chal- lenger," p. 623, pi. viii.) has drawn up a description of this species with that care and minuteness of detail which characterises his work. The specimens received by me differ only in trifling details from his description, but conform more closely to that given by Miers. The genus is now credited with five northern nnd four southern species, but of these, two of Stebbing's Kerguelen Island species aad one Australian are founded on single specimens, and the former two may yet have to be merged into H. Icergueleni. TASMANIAN DIATOMACK^E. By F. E. Burbury. The swiftly flowiug South Esk River, coDfiued to its narrow bed, in wliicli uauierous rock pools liave been worn , the North Esk, a placid stream, subject to tidal influence for some miles ; aud the Tamar River, formed by the junction of these two, with a 40-miles course to the sea, and a gradually increasing salinity, offer a specially favourable habitat for various genera aud species of the Diatomacse, and it is interesting to note the distribution of the genera — in some cases indifferent to most severe changes in con- ditious, in others suscej^tible to the slightest influences. Thus Actinocyclus Barkleyi I have found at the First Basin, a mile above the bridge, in fresh water, in company with Synedra splendens and Nitzchia rif^jida and Nitzchia viridis. The Actinocyclus is brought down into the slightly brackish water of the Tamar basin, continues to thrive right down the Tamar, is found again at George Town, and probably on all coasts of Tasmania, as I have gatherings of it again from Hobart. Not so, however, the synedras and nitzchias. Nitzchia rigida at once gives place to varct. sigma and it. sigma amphioxys, the slight, and it must be very slight, amount of salt suiffices to bar the one species and aid the other. The diatoms found in the purely fresh water of the South Esk are those of a cosmopolitan character, being probably all world-wide. In the North Esk, at that point where the tidal influence ceases, two interesting forms are met with — Euuotia transylvanica and a new Suirella of large size, only heretofore met with in the bed of the Yarra River. Coming down towards the wharves we find Hyalosira Wliampoensis, «yn. with Triceratium javauicum, an extremely interesting form. It is one of tlie three known species belonging to the genera, and which usually inhabit tropical seas. It is of interest to find it so far south. Some years ago this form was found, and sent home to Kitton by Mr. W. F. Petterd, and at this time was unknown excepit in Java. It has, however, been since found in a fossil state in Hungary. On the river flats by the Depot grounds are found some fine specimens of the genera Suirella, viz., Suirella splendida, Suirella robusta and spiralis, with a newer species, rather rare, which also has been only hereto- fore located in the Yarra. Here also the genera Coxinodixus is represented by Eupodiscus commutatus. Some beautiful Camplydiscus— Camplydixus echeneis and daemelianus, aud an occasional valve of Triceratium Robertsiauum will reward BY F. E. BURBURY. 5 the collector. Lower down the Tamar, in the ti-tree swamp, a remarkable form is met with in Nitzchia clevei, a form which would seem to be almost unknown to the Old World. It can hardly be missed, its great length being in striking contrast to other species. Here also I have located Van Heuxtzia vulgare and a beautiful Stauroptera. At George Town and the Heads no less than 37 species are found, and these by necessary imperfect gatherings. The most striking frustules are those of Rhabdonema Adriaticum, which are very plentiful. Pleurosigmas decorum, formosum, latum, and strigalis, and a more or less rare and un- known variety are also found in company with Triceratium fimbriatum and a very large and very rare valve of Mastogloia species Closely allied in their general forms are those gathered at Cornelian Bay, Hobart, the same Mastogloia being located, as also Eunotia transylvanica, the latter of which, however, I am unable to find in my George Town gatherings. I have also found some fourteen varieties at Prospect in an intermittent spring of hard water. These call for no special comment, except that, speaking broadly, they tend to ally themselves more to the marine forms than to those usually found in fresh water gatherings. Photo-micrographs of the more important and interesting forms have been taken. In conclusion, may I solicit the aid of members of the Society in this work. Green or yellow confervse scraped from piles of wharves or floating buoys, or from stones, etc., at low tide contain many forms, and need only be sent on to me in a rough state. Tasmanian Diatomacew. Actinocyclus BarkJeyi. 522. Grun. Inveresk, N. Esk, Hobart, Depot, Ti-tree. Aclinanthes salina. Kiitz. N. Esk, Depot. Achnauthes longipes. 279. Agvar. Hoba.rt. Achnanthes exilis. 282. Kiitz. Prospect. Achnauthes pusilla. Grun. George Town, Low Head. Rare. Achnanthidium lanceolatum. 276. Breb. Hobler's, N. Esk. Amphora acutinscula. 134. Kiitz. George Town. Un- common. Amphora marina. 129. Wm. S. Low Head. Uncommon. Amphiphora lepidoptera. 263. Greg. Lovv Head. Rare. . Actinoptcychus splendens. Ralfs. N. Esk. Auliscus sculptus. 482. Ralfs. Hobart. 6 TASMANIAN DIATOMACE.E. Coxinodixus excentricus. 531. Ehr. Depot Grounds. Coiinodiscus conciuuus. Depot Grounds. Camplylodiscus daemeliaus. Gruu. Depot Grounds. Camplylodiscus echeueis. 377. Ehr var. Depot Grounds. Cerataulus sp. Hobart. Cerataulus sp. George Town. Very rare. Cymbella gasteroides. 146. Kiitz. Hobart, N. Esk. Cymbella cymbiformis. 147. Ehr var. Prospect. Cymbella sp. Hobler's, N. Esk. Eare. Coccoueis placeutulata. Ehr. Hobart, Prospect. Cocconeis scuttellum. 287. Ehr. Hobart, Low Head. Cocconeis grevillei. Wm. S. George Town. Cocconeis pseudomarginata. Greg. Low Head. Rare. Cocconeis regalis. Wm. S. Low Head. Cocconeis lineolata. Ehr. Prospect, Hobler's Bridge. Cyclotella compta. 446. Kiitz. Hobler's Bridge. Cyclotella sp. N. Esk. Rare. Cocconema cistula, var, minor. Hempr. Prospect. Cocconema parva. Wm. S. Hobler's Bridge. Eupodiscus comrautatus. Grun. N. Esk. Depot, Epithemia gibba. 296. Kiitz. S. Esk. Depot Grounds. Epithemja sorex, var. Turgida. 295. Kiitz. Hobart. Eunotia pectiualis and undulatus. 300. Raben. Hobart. Eunotia transylvanica. Pant. Hobart. Yerj rare. Encyonema gracile, var. minor. 151. Raben. N. Esk, George Town. Encyonema turgidum. 150. Grun. Hobler's Bridge. Gomphonema vibrio. 273. Ehr. Hobart, Prospect. Gomphonema bacillum. Cleve. Prospect. Grammatophora marina. Grun. George Town. Grammatopliora subtillissima. Bail. Low Head. Hyalodiscus maxiraus. Eulst. Depot Grounds. Hydrosira whamphoensis. Swartz. 453. Syn. Tricaratiura Javanian. N. Esk, Ti-tree, Depot. Rare. Meloiira distans. Wm. S. Oatlands. BY F. E. RURBURY. 7 Melosira borrerii. Grrer. Inveresk, Depot, Hobart. Low Head. Mastogloia sp. Hobart. Mastogloia grevilli. 155. Win. S. Hobler's Bridge. Mastogloia sp. Low Head. Very Urge; very rare. Nitzcliia sigma. 3U6. Wm. S. N. Esk. Nitzchia sigma, var. amphioxys. Grun. S. Esk, Prospect, T i-tree Nitzchia rigida. 396. Gruu. Cataract Gorge. Eare. Nitz(5hia fasciculata. 397. Ehr. Prospect. Nitzchia clevei. Brun. Ti-tree, N. Esk. Nitzchia sigmatella. 397. George Town. Naricula viridis, 165. Kiitz. Cataract Gorge. Naricula sp. Ti-tree, Tamar River. Naricula liber. 222. Wm. S. Hobler's Bridge. Naricula Smithii. 187. Breb. Tamar River, Low Head. Naricula distans. 185. Wm. S. George- Town. Rare. Naricula splendida. Greg. George Town. Rare. Naricula Brazilieusis. Grun. Low Head. Very rare. Podosira maxima. Kiitz. N. Esk. Piunularia Brebissoni, Kiitz. Prospect. Pleurosigma strigosum. Depot Grounds. Pleurosigma decorum. 254. Wm. S. George Town. Pleurosigma var. George Town. Rare. Pleurosigma forraosum. 254. Wm. S. Low Head. Pleurosigma latum. Grun. George Town. Plagiograraena Gregoryanum. 337. Grev. George Town. Rhabdonema adriaticum. 360. Kiitz. Low Head. Suirella minuta. 373. Breb. North Esk. Suirella fastuosa. 372. Ehr. Hobart. Very rare. Suirella splendida. 371. Kiitz. Hobler's Bridge. Suirella sp. (large, same as in Yarra), new. Rare. Suirella robusta. 371. Ehr. N. Esk. Synedra splendens. 309. Kiitz. N. Esk, Ti-tree. Synedra ulna. 310. Ehr. Depot Grounds. B TASMANTAN DIATOMACE^. Synodra longa. Wra. S. Prospect. Synedra pulchella. Kiitz. Hobler's Bridge. Synedra Galliouii. Ehr. George Town. Stepbauopyxis sp. Cataract Gorge. Stauroneis acuta. IGO. Wai. S. Prospect. Stauroneis phoenicenterou. Ehr. Prospect. Stanroptera sp. Ti-tree, Tamar River. Stauroptera asp9ra. Kiitz. George Town. Tabellaria ventricosa. 356. Kiitz. Cataract Gorge. Tryblionella maxima. 355. Grun. Tlobler's Bridge. Triceratium Robertsianum. Grev. Depot Grounds. Triceratium fimbriatum. Wall. George Town. Rare. Van Heuxtkia vulgare. 239. Prospect, Ti-tree. Xantbiopyxis umbonatus. Wharf. OBSERVATIONS REOARDING THE RECENT DISCOVERY BY G. THUREAU, F.G.S., OF A FOSSIL REPTILE IN THE MERSEY COAL MEASURES AT RAILTON. By R. M. Johnston, F.S.S. Mr. Gr. Thureau, formerly Oovernment Geologist of Tasmania, has kindly submitted to me a carefully prepared cast of the remains of a fossil reptile discovered by him in the spoil-heap from a (then) new main shaft sunk by a Sydney company near Railton, in the Mersey Coal Measures, and, therefore, of Upper Permo-Carboniferous age. The original was placed by Mr. Thureau in the hands of the late Professor M'Coy for identification ; but the regrettable death of the Professor soon after prevented this investigation, and Mr. Thureau is now anxious to make known his important discovery to the Members of this Society ; because — as Mr. Thureau thoughtfully observes — the possession of this interesting fossil from our rocks — now in the Melbourne Museum — " rightly belongs to Tasmania." The cast referred to — now submitted for the inspection of the Members of this Society — represents portion of the central and caudal vertebra? of the reptile, with the simple gently-curved ribs of the central part perfectly connected. The central or pre-sacral vertebra number 13 or 14, with a length of three inches, and greatest breadth one and a half inches ; vertebra of the tail thicker, more pronounced, four to five in a length of nearly one inch. The absence of the head, limbs, and caudal extremity, and the absence of definite knowledge regarding the articulation, form, &c., of the vertebra, make it impossible to do more than assign its position to the great family of Labyrinthodonts, whose range in Europe is generally determined as from the Carboniferous to the Trias, and are especially abundant in the Permian. It is stated by 10 FOSSIL KEPTILE. Nicholson and Lydekker tluit only one genus ( Rhino- savrus) persisted to the Lower .Jurassic. '. The Pterodactyls or winged reptiles, to which Mr. Thureau suggests a reference, had not the elongate cen- tral vertebra? of the form whose cast is now before you, and there is not the slightest evidence of the character- istic bones of the manus. Moreover, the Pterodactyls only make their first appearance in Europe in the rocks of Upper Jurassic age, whereas the fossil skeleton of the reptile now considered, if obtained, as stated, from the Mersey Coal Measures, undoubtedly belongs to Permo-Carboniferous age. It is to be hoped that Mr. Thureau may be able to obtain the original for the Tasmanian Museum, to which, by right, it belongs, w^hen the opinion of our best European or American specialists may be obtained as to its exact affinities among the reptilia. My own opinion, which I have great diffidence in expressing, is, that it probably comes within that group of the Labyrmtho- dontia, embraced within the Sub-order Microsauria. The Labyrinthodonts included in this Sub-order, resemble Lizards in outward appearance, and have the centra of the vertebras more or less elongated, and long curved ribs. One genus of this order, Lininerpeton^ of the Permian of Bohemia, possesses characteristics of the vertebrae of the central and caudal parts, which come very close to our Tasmanian representation from the Permo-Carbon- iferous Coal Measure of Railton, Tasmania. 1 am sure the Members of this Society will agree wdth me in thanking Mr. Thureau for his valuable cast of the reptile, and for his promise to endeavour to secure the original for the National Museum of the Country w^here the skeleton was found. For the sake of reference, and as a compliment to Mr. Thureau, I propose in the meantime to refer alw^ays to this, the oldest known remains of a vertebrate in Tasmanian rocks, as " Thureau s MicrosaiirianJ'^ ■ii»i'd4 f#i * it f * t »t r# ti *f « f ij #4ili||if||||| m nrnm i y ii fV i m m 3 C :§ -7. to 2 -J ^ gel o O £ iU ^ -J rt UJ ^ \ii « rS:iss4?'»---1.Ja*:/' • FUKTHER NOTES ON THE "PERMO-CAR- BONIFEROUS FOSSIL CLIFFS" AT DARLINGTON, MARIA ISLAND. By R. M. Johnston, F.S.S. (Bead lOfh May, 1900.; Maria Island, lying to the east of Spring Bay, must be regarded as the most southerly outline of the great granite axis forming the eastern fringe of Tas- mania, traceable northwards through Schouten Island, Freycinet's Peninsula, Bicheno, Falmouth, St. Helens, Eddystone Point, to Gladstone. Crossing the narrow Banks' Strait it may be further traced through Clarke Island, Cape Barren Island, Long Island, Goose Island, Hummock Island, the Strzelecki Peaks, and Killicrankie Range of Flinders Island, and the elevated masses of granite forming the interesting cluster of islets known as the Kent's Group. From this point the granite axis is again traceable through the rocky shoals, reefs, and islets to the most southerly Hmit of the Australian main- land at the granite headlands of Wilson's Promontory. Maria Island, like Bruni Island, is divided into two parts — North Maria and South Maria. The two divisions are connected, between Oyster Bay on the west and Reidle Bay on the east, by a narrow strip of sand two or three miles long, giving the island^ as a whole, somewhat the appearance of an ancient hour-glass. The greatest length lies between Cape Boulanger on the extreme north, and Cape Peron on the extreme south, covering a distance of about 15 miles. The greatest breadth, about 10 miles, lies in a line between Long Point on the west, and Ragged Head on the east ; that is within the larger division of the North Island. Maria Island, as a whole, covers an area of about 38 square 12 PERMO-CARBONIFEROUS FOSSIL CLIFFS. miles, and, as its mass in the north rises rapidly, with fantastic outline, from the sea to a height of over 3000 feet, it presents a very imposing appearance as seen from the nearest part of the mainland, six or seven miles distant. The general geological features of both North and Sonth Divisions of the island are very similar, and closely agree with those of the Schoiiren Island and Freycinet's Peninsula, with which at one time, no doubt, they were connected. Thus, in all, we find the easterly half entirely com- posed of grey and, sometimes red, granites, often coarsely porphyritic. The large tabular crystals of the various kinds of felspar are particuliry conspicuous in places. Flanking the granites on their western side, in a more or less well-determined north and south trough or valley, occur metamorphic locks of Archaean age, together Avith schists, slates, and close-grained limestone, probably of Lower Silurian age. In such situations stream-tin has been sparingly found, both on Maria Island and on the Schoutens. The great mass of the western half of both divisions is occupied mainly by the prevailing diabasic greenstones of the country, and form, as elsewhere throughout Tasmania, its loftiest and most characteristic physical features. The border of the greenstone ranges, in the southern and western portions of the northern divi- sion, is low-lying, composed of scrubby sand-dunes, enclosing marshy lagoons. Towards the north-east, at Darlington, occur fine section^ of limestones, mudstones, and conglomerates of Permo-Carboniferous age. Nowhere throughout Australia and Tasmania are there so complete a series or finer sections of the marine rocks of Permo-carboniferous age exposed than those occurring in the grand precipitous sea-ciifi^'s near Darling- ton, at the north-western extremity of Maria Island. Darlington, the only settlement, wherein live a few families engaged in pastoral occupation, is most charm- ingly situated underneath the shadows of the two curious lofty peaks of Mount Maria, nearly 3000 feet high, whose well-known features, as seen from the seaward side, have suggested the fanciful idea of " Bishop and Clerk," a name by which they are now known. The northern outlook from the settlement is especially grand, BY R. M. JOHNSTON, F.S.S. 13 as it embraces the distant outlines of the fantastic chain of serrated granite ranges of the Schouten Island and Freycinet's Peninsula. Away to the extreme north these crests melt away towards the cultivated settlements around Swansea and Great Swanport, at the head of Oyster Bay ; while to the left stands out the bold coast- line of the mainland, lying between Cape Bernier and Okehampton, near the entrance to Spring Bay. Immediately to the north and east of Darlington, along the coast-line, occurs a low-lying spur of the diabasic greenstone, which suddenly terminates at the western shoulder of the great cliif'-encircled half-moon bay lying directly under " The Bishop and Clerk." From the point where the diabasic greenstone spur terminates, the coast-line north and east encircling the half-moon bay is walled in by perpendicular and partly overhanging cliffs, composed of stratified marine beds of the Permo-Carboniferous system. Looking down- ward from the crest of one of these perpendicular cliffs, in the direction of the '' Bishop and Clerk," whose slopes and crest, composed of diabasic greenstone, rise abruptly from above the 400 feet perpendicular stratified fossil cliffs to a height of nearly 3000 feet, the half-moon bay and its environing fossil cliffs present a scene of exceeding grandeur. Along the base of the cliffs of stratified rocks theie is a narrow marginal strip of low flat rocky ledges, upon which have accumulated, at certain points, vast quantities of fossiliferous blocks of limestone and mudstone, which, by the continuous undermining action of the great open sea-rollers, have been detached from time to time from the overhanging ledges on the face of the beetling cliffs. The huge blocks which have fallen from these over- hanging clifts are strewn about or tumbled upon each other in the wildest confusion, while the fossils on the surface of the limestone masses, by the weathering action of sea and air, stand out in bold relief in greatest perfection. The genus Pachydomus, Avith its large globose specific forms, is especially noticeable. Blocks, 40 and 50 tons in weight, seem at first sight to be made up of a compacted conglomerate of these large fossil bivalves ; but a closer inspection reveals the presence of numerous 14 PERMO-CARBONIFEROUS FOSSIL CLIFFS. associates. Orlo;lnally, in my larger work, on " The Geolq<2:y of Tasmania," for the sake of convenience in description, I provisionally divided the varions members of the Permo-Carboniferous rocks at this place into three great divisions or zones, part i haracterised by differences in the prevailing forms of fossil life, and partly by a considerable difference in the character and composition of the successive beds or groups of strata. (1.) Erratic Zone. — The lowest beds visible above sea-level have been termed by me TJie Erratic Zone. Composed of more or less impure limestones, frequently studded with great erratic boulders of quartzites, slates, schists, and granites or conglomerates of these older rocks, cemented together by limestone. Some of these huge, angular, erratic granite blocks weigh over a ton. There is abundant evidence now to show that these huge erratics must have been borne thither by meeting ice-sheets. Similar evidence of glacial action during the age in which these rocks were formed, occur in England ; Talchir and Salt Kange, India ; Dwyka Conglomerates, South Africa : Bacchus Marsh Con- glomerates, Victoria ; New South Wales ; and in many parts of Tasmania, in rocks of the same horizon. Fuller details of glacial evidence are given in my observations on " The Glacier Epoch of Australia," read before the Members of this Society, in the year 1893. (See Papers and Proceedings of Royal Society of Tasmania, June. 1893.) (2.) Pachydomns Zone. — Immediately above the Er- ratic Zone occurs a series of alternating beds of cal- careous shale and solid limestones, characterised con- spicuously by the prevalence of the large globose bivalves of the genus Pachydomus. This series, or Zone, is about eighty feet in thickness, and w^as termed by me originally the Pachydomus Zone. It must not be inferred, however, that this genus is solely confined to this division, or that this genus alone is to be found within the limits of the zone so named. All that is intended here, by the classified name, is, that in this group of beds, the genus Pachydomus dominates supremely over all other forms of life, and a forty-feet bed is almost wholly composed of their fossils. The following is a fairly typical list of BY R. M. JOHNSTOX, F.S.S. 15 the Pachjdomi of this zone, with then* more common associates : — Pachydomus globosus J. de Sow. J, de Konincki R. M. Johnston. „ Hobartensis „ „ gigas M'Co}'. „ carinatus Morris. Eurydesma cordata „ Notoniya Gouldii R. M. Johnston. ,, trigonalis „ „ Bf^ddomeii „ Aviculopecten limse formis Morris. „ lUawarensis „ „ squamuliferus ,, ,, Fittoni „ Platyschisma ocula J. de Sow. Connularia Tasmanica R, M. Johnston. Stenopora Tasmaniensis Lons. „ informis ,, Favosites o vata ,, „ sp. indel. forming broad flat patches over a foot in superficial extent. (3.) FenesteUa Zone. — Succeeding the Pachydomus beds there occurs a series of thin, friable, shaly, rusty mudstones, more or less decomposed towards the upper surface, and almost wholly composed of the crushed, laminated frond-like layers of the common species of Fenesiella. These beds are now estimated to be about 124 feet in thickness, and are generally overlaid, as more recently observed by Mr. Montgomery, by a thin band or layer of volcanic ash or tuff, which he describes as being very hard, fidl of small glittering granules of glassy quartz, felspar crystals common, also fragments of various rocks. It decomposes into a yellowish-brown clay^ey stone, which still shows the glassy^ quartz granules very distinctly\ As the whole of the beds of the cliff have a distinct uniform dip of about 1 in 15 in a direction south by east (S. 28° E.), this band, traceable at sea-level to the north, may be followed in the same position, continuously, to the higher surface north and west, where at a height of 185 feet, near the cliiF top, and at the head of a deep gully or arm of the sea, it may be again observed in a more or less decomposed state. Mr. Montgomery draws particular attention to the position and peculiar character of this band, as he is of opinion it may serve as a valuable datum line by which 16 PERMO-CARBONIFEROUS FOSSIL CLIFFS. to recoo'nise the stratigrapliical position of the beds further inland, where among a higher series they are to be found — as also along the higher members of the sea cliffs to the east occur tiie limestone bands, quarried for the Portland Cement Works of the ]\Iaria Island Com- pany. The works lie inland, in a valley, towards the head of Bernacchi's Creek. The common forms, Fenestella internata, Lons., F. pleheid, jNI'Coy, and Frotoretepora amjda, Low, make up the greater part of the Fenestella Zone. Associated with them, however, may be found the following typical forms, viz :— - Spirit'era Tasmuniensis Morris „ Darwiiiii „ „ glaber „ „ duodecimcostata M'Coy Productus brachythserus G. Low. Strophalosia Clarkei ... Eth. „ Jukesii Eth. Jr. Pleurotomaria Morrisi M'Coy. (4.) Productus Zone, — The series of beds overlying the Fenestella Zone are divided by Mr. Montgomery into two groups. The first group in succession termed by him The Productus Zone is about 30 feet thick, com- posed largely of beds of blue hydraulic limestone from 6 inches to 4 feet thick These are the beds chiefly worked at the quarries for the production of Portland cement. The blue limestone bands are separated from each other invariably by beds of calcareous shale and mudstone. The limestones are replete with the common forms of Spirifera, Strophalosia, Productus, Avicu- lopecten, Stenopera, Crinoids, and Fenestella. Pachy- domus, common, but less frequent. (5.) Crinoid Zone — The next and highest groups in position of the Darlington beds are estimated by Mr. Montgomery to be about 320 feet thick, and are termed by him the Crinoid Zone. This zone is composed of limestones, consisting chiefly of crinoid remains, occurring in beds from six inches to four feet thick, separated by thin shaly partings. Mr. Montgomery states that this limestone seems very pure, except that it frequently contains bands and masses of chal- cedony ( Buhr stone )^ formed by the infiltration and segregation of silicious solutions. The beds of the BY R. M. JOHNSTON, F.S.S. 17 larger quarry at tlie Portland cement works are stated to belong to the lower part of this series. The buhr- stone referred to might yet prove to be of commercial value for milling purposes, as it is very abundant and easily quarried. It is greatly to be regretted that the manufacture of Portland cement at this place has failed of success, seeing, as Mr. Montgomery has reported, that good cement has already been manufactured there, and that there are good facilities of all sorts for making and shipping larger quantities of it. To the geologist and palaeontologist, the Darlington beds of Permo-Carboniferous age are of the greatest interest. The fossils of these rocks aiFord a splendid field for further palasontological investigations. Pro- fessor Boehm, of Freiburg University, Baden, whom I recently induced to visit this fine section at Darlington, declared to me that to him, as a professional pala}ontolo- fifist, it was the grandest sight that he bad ever beheld. The main object that I had in view in recording these observations is that it may perhaps induce the younger members to systematically extend our knowledge of the Permo-Carboniferous age in Tasmania, and especially of these Darlington beds. 1 am indebted to Mr. Mont- gomery's paper for the large detailed table of strata appended, and for the sections which illustrate them. (Appendix B.) For the series of splendid photographic slides of the Darlington fossil clifiTs, prepared to illustrate this paper by Mr. Beattie, I am indebted to my friend, your Secretary, Mr. A. Morton, who obtained them when he last visited the island for this purpose, accom- panied by Dr. Boehm. The enlarged figures of typical fossils of these rocks, to be shown on the screen, are taken from the plates which illustrate my large work, " Systematic Account of the Geology of Tasmania." As the limestones quarried by the Maria Island Com- pany for the manufacture of Portland cement are of much interest, from an economic point of view, I have appended (Appendix A) a valuable analytical report of the character of these limestones, submitted to Mr. Wallace, Secretary for Mines, by Mr. W. F. Ward, Government Analyst. 18 TERMO-CARBOXIFEROUS FOSSIL CLIFFS. Appendix A. Government LahoratoHes^ Hohart, ^th Septembe?', 1900. Dear Sir, The samples of cement received from you on the 14th ult., and stated to be from Maria Island, liave been examined, with results fiiliowino^ : — ° 12 3 Silica, soluble 26-2 26-5 22-4 Silica, &c., insoluble 5-0 I'l 1-2 Oxide of iron 2-6 2-2 1-8 Alumina 3-8 3-4 4-0 Magnesia I'l 1'2 0-8 Lime, &c., b}^ difference.... 56'3 63*6 53-2 Carbonic acid and water ... 5-0 2-0 16*6 100-0 100-0 100-0 No. 1, cement ; No. 2, blue lias clinker ; No. 3, crumbling cement brick, 10 years old. No appreciable amount of phosphoric acid was found in any sample ; a small quantity only of sulphate of lime is included in the lime. To render the results more strictly comparable, they have been calculated, excluding the carbonic 'dcid and water lost on ignition in each case, as follow : — ' 12 3 Silica, soluble 27-58 27-04 26-86 Silica, &c., insoluble 5-26 1-12 1-44 Oxide of iron 2-74 2-24 2-16 Alumina 4-00 3-47 4'80 Magnesia 1-16 1-23 0-95 Lime, &c 59-26 64-90 63-79 100-00 100-00 100-00 Variations in compositions of cements from several different countries are added for comparison : — Per cent. Silica 19-9 to 26-1 Alumina 5-2 „ 10-6 Oxideofiron 2-1 ,. 5-0 Lime 59-1 ,', 67-3 Magnesia 0-3 „ 3*5 Sulphuric acid 0-3 „ 4-2 It will be seen that in the Maria Island material the silica is rather above the maximum, and the alumina rather below the minimum given above. Alteration in these respects would probably mean improvement, but I am inclined to attribute the crumbling of sample No. 3 to mode of preparation of the cement, as there are some limestones which will yield cement or lime according to the FALLEN BLOCKS OF FOSSILIFEROUS At foot of Cliff, Fossil Cliff Bay, Darlington, Maria Island ht a. M. JOHNSTON, F.S.S. 19 temperature at which they are burned. A rotary kiln, very largely used in America, is a great improvement on the old forms of calciners. Yours iaithfuUy, W. F. WARD, Government Analyst. To the Secretary for Mines, Hohart. Appendix B. Detailed Description of the Darlington Beds, as described by A. Montgomery, M.A. Thickness. ^ ! ^5 ^ S s r*!* ^ Ft. 320 30 43 2 1 124 In. Description of Beds. Limestones consisting chiefly of crinoid remains in beds from 6 inches to 4 feet thick, separated by thin slialy partings. This limestone seems very pure, except that it frerpiently contains bunds and masses of chalcedony ( Buhrstone) formed by the infiltration and segre- gation ot siliceous solutions. The beds of the large quarry at B. on plan belong to the lower part of this series. Beds of blue hydraulic limestone, 6 inches to 4 feet thick, worked in quar- ries at A. C. D. E. and F. on plan, separated by beds of calcareous shale and mudstone, amounting, probably, to nearly half the whole bulk of the beds. The limestones show fossils of aviculopecten, npirtfera, productus, and fenestella in abundance; pachydomus common, but less frequent. Small stones not uncommon Shaly limestones, very rich in Spirifera and productas Dark shaly mudstone Volcanic ash or tuff, very hard, full of small glittering granules of glassy quartz, felspar crystals common, also fragments of various rocks : decom- yjoses to a yellowish-brown clayey stone, which still shows the glassy quartz granules very distinctly iMudstones, with but little lime, very rich in species oi fenestella, stenopora^&cQ.,. Total Thickness of Strata. Ft. In. 608 288 258 215 212 210 20 PERMO-CARBONIFEROIS FOSSIL CLIFFS. Detailed Description of the Darlington Beds- cimtimied. GA SECTION ALONG COAST FROM cc: Gre^nstor^ b.Iur^U,r^ ^ o^r^l^rrv^aX^ o. CcUcan^u. sh^ f t}U^. beK()SPECTS OF indiLstry, of such enormous value to Tasmania, is to succeed as it ouglit. Of course, I will be met with the objection that the (iovernment resources might not be adequate to establisli and keep up such a school. T do not see why all the expenses of such an establishment, in my opinion so necessary for advancing the pecuniary and commercial interests of those engaged in timber and agricultural pursuits, should fall entirely upon the Government. The personal initiative and support of the large number of persons interested ought to be forth- coming if such a scheme is considered advisable and necessary, and after formulating the lines on which it was to be run and the amount which the promoters considered likely to be forthcoming, the Government could be approached for the grant of an annual subsidy until the institution became self-supporting, as I feel sure, if properly managed, in a few years, it would. To raise these funds by an infinitesimal tax on exported fruit and timber, or an annual subscription by all those interested, should not be a matter of great difficulty if taken in hand by competent persons, consisting of timber and export merchants, members of your agricultural societies, fruitgrowers, shipping companies, and prominent public men. Another point which I should like to impress upon Government is the fact that in numerous parts of Tas- mania young trees are coming up from seedlings, which, in 15 to 30 or 40 years, will be valuable timber, and that these locations should be jealously reserved, and all "rights" inimical to State interests there eliminated. I have thus given you a few of my impressions, and made some suggestions which I believe would materially benefit the forestry and agricultural interests of Tasmania. It rests with you to decide whether they are worthy your attention. You may be quite certain that system- atic forest and agricultural management not only benefits those directly interested, but also the whole industry of the State. I would impress upon you, however, that, if you decide on doing something, lose no time in doing it at TIMBEIl IN TASMANIA. 37 once. You have already lost enormous quantities of valuable timber throus^h its destruction by ignorance, waste, vandalism, and preventable fires. If you allow this to continue unchecked for a few years more, it must result in the exhaustion of your timber, and disaster to thousands of people depending on this branch of industry; but if a bold comprehensive scheme to conserve what you have, and to plant for the future, and for the practi- cal and scientific development of agriculture in all its branches be adopted and carried out, not only will you reap an abundant reward in the present, but coming generations will profit by and Idess you for the efforts you have made to promote an4 geolo<;y ov iasmama. Tlie horizontal bods of longlomcrato, whiih lie as lieavy caps on the Dial Range an«i most of tho Western Moun- tains, have been assigned to this system. These massive conglomerates crown IMount FarrcU. Mnnhison, Lyell. C)\ven. Jukes, Ixoland, Claiule. A-c. ■^'(rrno-Cdrhonifttdus. These rocks consist of sandst^mes, mudstones, grits, con- glomerates, and' limestones, with shales and thin coal seams. The most productive coal measures in TaLinania do not be- long to this system, but are Upper Me^ozoic, probably Jurassic. The Permo-Carboniferous strata have been thoroughly examined by Mr. R. M. Johnston, and his classi- fication is adopted: — rp2^tr — 7. EliTolite syenites, phonolites and trachytes, at Port Cygnet. 6. Southpoi-t, sandstones and shales. 5. Mount Cygnet and Adventure Bay, sandstones and shales. 4. Upper marine nuidstoues overlying Mersey coal ; Poi-ter Hill shales and sandstones, Sandy Bay. 3. Lower coal measures, Mersey Basin. '2. Tasmanite shales. Lower — 1. Lower manne mudstones, limestones, conglomerates, and grit-s. throughout S.E., N.E., and Midlands. Conglomerates, grits, and micaceous sandstones and slaty llagstones, in thick beds, form the base of the system. These conglomerates, at One Tree Point, North Bruni, at Darling- ton, the northern point of Maria Island, below the lime- stone beds, contain large blocks of granite, porphyry, ilec. The angular blocks on Maria Island are over a ton in weight, and on Bruni, too, they are very large. The Lower Marine series of limestones and mudstones comprises, in Southern Tasmania: — 3. Fenestella mudstones. at Porter Hill, The Grange. Cascades, etc. '2. Spirifera and strophalosia mudstones, Huon Road, i\:c. 1 . Limestones, on Mai'ia Island, at Bridgewater ; also at Fingal. Middle Arm, etc.. in the North. They contain favositcs, spirifera, product us, conularia, pdchi/domus, notomya, aviculopecfen, &c. These marine beds occur all along the Derwent, from Bruni Island to New Norfolk. At Porter Hill, south of the Alex- andra Battery, on the Brown's River Road, sections are ex- posed of the lower marine series, with its common fossils^ GEOLOGY OF TASMANIA. 65 passing upwards into shales and sandstones of the upper division of the system, with Gangamo'pitru and Cythere tasmanica (Johnston). Fossiliferous limestones and mudstones occur at Variety Bay. At Eaglehawk Xeck. the sea beach exposes grits and conglomerates with rectangular joints filled with oxide of iron, forming a natural "■ tesselated pavement " greatly ad- mired by visitors. The jointing is probably due to the vicinity of a concealed body of intrusive diabase. At the Middle Arm of the Tamar, near Beaconsfield, the fossil- iferous limestones repose on Silurian rocks. Dally- old quarry abounds with Eurydesma cordata. Fossiliferous mudstones, with spirifera, productus, terebratula, pachy- domus, eurydesma, occur on the Meander, near Cheshunt. At Mount Cygnet, the succession is — 3. fenestella zone; 2, spirifera zone ; 1, shaly mudstones. The spirifera sand- stones occur all round Lovett and Lymington. On the West Coast, the lowest conglomerates of the system are composed of pebbles of schist and quartzite, and rest on ancient schists in the Barn Bluff district. The upper division of the system comprises sandstones and shales, which contain the coal of the period, and includes marine mudstones, overlying the coal in the Mersey dis- trict. In the Mersey Basin, notably, near the Great Bend of the river, near Latrobe, beds of variously-coloured clays enclose thin layers of bituminous shale, called Tasmanite. from the abundance of fossil spore cases of the lycopod Tas- tnanites punetatus (Newton), which contains over 25% of resinous matter. The exact relation of these shales to the other beds in the Mersev Basin is not settled. The beds of the Mersey coal measures are grits, varie- gated sandstones, marls, and the coal plant remains are the forms characteristic of the Permo-Carboniferous, viz. : — Glossopterisy Gangamopt eris spatulata, G. ohliqya, Noegger- athiopsis media. Mr. Johnston has also recognised a schizo- neiira (rare). The coal of these measures is superior in quality to the coal in the Jurassic measures, but the seams are not of such importance. They are overlaid by marine marls and limestones, sandstones, and conglomerates, with Fenestella pleheia, Spirifera tasmaniensis. Terfhratula sac- culiis, Pleurotomaria morrisiana, Pachydomus, Aviculopec- ten, Cardiomorpha, Pter'ma, &c. These are called the Upper Marine Beds in Tasmania. The upper zones of sandstones and shales at Porters Hill, in the South, correspond with the Upper Marine beds of the Mersey. Two hundred feet of the former are exposed along the Derwent, containing Cythere tasmanicu^ (Johnston), 66 GEOLOGY OF TASMANIA. Gangamo'pteris, Sfirifera tasmaniensis, S. darwinii, S. duo- decimcostata, Terehratula saccidus, Avicida, Area, Aviculo- pecten, Eurydesma sacculus, Edmondia, Inoceramus, Pachy- domus pusillvs, Pleurotpmaria inorrisimia, Conidaria, Theca, &c. On the north bank of the Henty River, on the West Coast, between the Henty and Badger, the lower coal measures are hard dark grey shales, which contain Gangam- opteris spatulata (McCoy), G. ohliqua (McCoy), Noeggera- thiopsis media (Ettingsh.). Above these are mudstones and impure limestones, with Fenestella plebeia, F. internata, Protnretepora ainpla, Stenopura tasmaniensis. In the North-East part of the!\ Island, foraminiferal lime- stone of this system has been found by Mr. Thos. Stephens. At Harelield, in the Fingal Basin, a diamond-drill bore has revealed the existence of 97 feet of conglomerates, sandstone, and shales, resting on Silurian slates, at a depth of 674 feet in the bore-hole. These underlie the Upper Marine beds. Very little coal was found, but the shales contained im- prints doubtfully referred to Schizoneura and Gangamop- teris. The Upper Marine beds overlying these were 313 feet thick, and consisted of fossiliferous blue shale, lime- stones, mudstones, &c. At Mount Cygnet, the low^er coal measures rest on the fenestella beds, and are overlaid by 200 feet of grey sand- stone. The coal shales contain impressions of Vertehraria australis and Gangamopteris spatulata. At Adventure Bay, on Bruni Island, lower coal measure shales and seams lie conformably on the lower marine mud- stones, conglomerates, and sandstones. They contain dwarfed forms of Gangamopteris spatvlata, G. ohliqua, Gloss- opt eris hrowniana, var. prcecursor (Brongt.). At Southport, brown sandstone is overlaid by carbon- aceous shales, with imprints of Vertehraria australis. The Adventure Bay and Southport series form the uppermost beds of the system. The elseolitic and trachytic rocks, which are developed at Port Cygnet and Oyster Cove, are referred provisionally to the close of this period. Some of them appear to be fluidal, and interbedded with the Permo-Carboniferous mudstones and sandstones, but further examination is requisite. The majority are intrusive rocks, forming parts of a mass of elseolite-and alkali-syenite, M^th associated dykes of phono- litic, tinguaitic, and trachytic porphyries. The accessory minerals of the nepheline rocks, nosean, aegirine, sodalite, melanite, &c., are present here in all the wonderful variety characteristic of that group. Mounts Livingstone and GEOLOGY OF TASMANIA. 67 Mary, on either side of Lovett, and the beach south of the Eegatta Ground, show these rocks in great variety. A good deal of free gold has been shed into the alluvial flat at Lymington. The source of the metal is believed to be the line of contact between the porphyries and the Permo-Car- boniferous sediments. This belt of rock passes S. to the other side of the Huon River, and N. across to Oyster Cove. Mesozoic. ^ The series of freshwater beds which succeed to the Upper Palaeozoic belongs to the Mesozoic division, but cannot, as yet, be subdivided with certainty. The nearest approach to a subdivision would be as follows ; but the reference to European equivalents is quite provisional : — Cretaceous ( ?) — 4. Diabase (dolerite) in intrusive masses, laccolites, sills, and dykes. Jura — 3. Upper coal measure sandstones. Trias — 2. Sandstones and shales, with coal seams, at Ida Bay, containing Fecopteris lunensis (R. M. Johnston). 1. Variegated sandstones, with Vertehraria australis (McCoy), and remains of heterocercal fishes and amphibians. 1. The sandstones at the Government House Quarry, in the Domain, at Knocklofty, at Ross, &c., belong to the Lower Mesozoic. Mr. R. M. Johnston considers the Lower Sandy Bay mudstones, exposed three miles from Hobart, on the Brown's River Road, to be the base of the system. They conta,in obscure plant impressions. The variegated sandstones of Lower Sandy Bay are supposed to overlie them conformably. In the Domain, the sandstone has yielded bones of amphibians {Lahyrinthodonts X). From the Cascades to Knocklofty, there are about 1000 feet of these sandstones, from which the heterocercal fi^,Acrole'pis hamiltoni (Johnston and Morton), has been recorded. Messrs. Johnston and Morton give the section in ascending order, as follows : — Feet. 1 . Yellow fissile sandstone 20 2. Flaggy sandstone, with fish remains 5 3. Mottled shales, with plants 60 4. Thick sandstone beds, quarried for bui'd- ing ' 715 800 68 GEOLOGY OF 'J'AS.MANIA. The sandstone near Tinderbox Bay is on the same horizon as the Knocklofty beds, and contains remains of a fish de- scribed by Messrs. Johnston and Morton, under the name of Acrolepis tasmanicus. This sandstone overlies conform- ably the uppermost beds of the Permo-Carboniferous mud- stones. This series of sandstones and shales contains the plant remains called V ertehraria australis (McCoy). Recently, Vertebraria has been regarded as the rhizome of glossopteris. In Tasmania, it is confined to the Lower Mesozoic, and the passage beds at Southport, which are just the strata in which glossopteris has not been found. 3. The sandstones which enclose the Mesozoic coal seams are readily recognised by their soft, felspathic nature; they are generally greenish-grey to yellowish brown, some-times white. They are widely spread throughout East and South-East Tasmania, and occur also in the South. The maximum development obsei^ed is about 1000 feet. They are largely interrupted by intrusions of diabase, which breaks through, and, to all appearances, locally overspreads, them. Whether this overspreading is real, or only apparent, is still a matter of dispute. They flank the Central, Western, and Eastern Tiers, and fringe isolated mountain caps of diabase at Mount Nicholas, Mount Victoria, Mount Saddleback, Ben Nevis, Mount Elephant, Mount Dundas, Cradle Mountain, Ben Lomond, Tower Hill, &c. From Fingal and Mount Nicholas they extend on the outskirts of the diabase ranges southv/ards to Seyn).our, Douglas, and Denison rivers, Llandaff, Spring Bay, and thence all over South-East and a good deal of South Tas- mania, besides encircling the whole of the elevated central part of the Island with a narrow girdle. In the South-East they are cut up very much by intrusive diabase. In this brief description detailed mention of localities is impossible. Well-known occurrences are those on Ben Lomond, Schouten Island, Triabunna, Okehampton, New Town, Sandfly Rivulet, Tasman Peninsula, Upper Derwent, Campania, York Plains, Norwich, &c. The fossil fl.ora from these beds must be regarded as characteristic for the Upper Mesozoic. The plants have been scheduled by Mr. R. M. Johnston, as follow : — F dices — Alethopteris Australis (Morris) „ serratifolia (R. M. Johnston) Cardiopteris Tasinanica „ Cyclopteris ? Australis (possibly a Salisburia) = „ Danaea Morrisiana ,, GEOLOGY OF TASMANIA. 69 Gleichenia dubia (M'Coy) Glossopteris moribunda (R. M. Johnston) Maorotaeniopieris Wianaraattae ( Feiston) Neuropteris antipoda (R. M. Johnston) „ Tasnianiensis „ Odontopteris crispata ,, Peoopteris Buftoni ,, „ caudata ,, „ odontopteroides (Morris) Rhacophyllum coriaceum (Ti. M. Johnston) Sagenopteris Tasmanica (Feiston) Sphenopteris Morrisiana (M'Coy) Sagenopteris salisburioides — Sphenopteris alata (Brongt) ,, elongate (Carruthers) ,, Tasmanica (R. M. Johnston) Strzeleckia ganj^aniopteroides „ „ tenuifblia ,, Taeniopteris morrisiana „ ,, tasmanica ,, Thinnf'eidia buftoni ,, ,j feistmanteHi ,, ,. obtusifolia ,, „ media (T. VVoods) ,, polymorj)ha (R. M. Johnston) * „ superba ,, ,, trilobita ,, Trichomanides ettingshauseni „ ,, spinifoHum (T. Woods) Equisetaceae. Annularia australis ... (Morris) Cycadaceae. Podozamites distans? (Prese) Pterophyllum diibium (R. M. Johnston) „ risdonensis ,, „ strahani „ Sphenoza mites teistmantelii „ Ptilophyllum oligoneurum (T. Woods) Co)iiferae. Baiera tenuifblia (R. M. Johnston) Ginkgophylhim austraHs ?» Salisburia hobartensis ,, Zeugophy Kites (poa-cordaites) elon- gatus „ The sandstones are extensively broken by. intrusions of dia base, or dolerite, which cut up the coal measure areas into different basins. Dykes of diabase traverse the beds. This rock, called dolerite in England and diabase on the Continent, is a holocrystalline mixture of augite, labradorite, felspar, and titaniferous iron ore, or magnetite. Its effusive equivalent is basalt; gabbro forms its plutonic roots. It appears to have been a subterranean intrusion of molten 70 GEOLOGY UF TASMANIA. material, which never succeeded in reaching the surface, or if it did, its superficial, subaerial portion has been renioved by denudation. The masses now visible, as at Mount Wel- lington, and crowning the Tiers, may be looked upon as huge laccolites and sills. Up to the present, no evidences of lava flow have been found in the structure of this rock. It is devoid of ore-deposits. Tertiary. A great stratigraphic break exists between the Mesozoic and the succeeding strata. The Tertiary system cannot be subdivided as in Europe. Mr. E.. M. Johnston has pro- posed the two divisions, palaeogene and neogene, which are here adopted. According to this arrangement, the Ter- tiaries will be subdivided, as follows : — Neogene ( =: approximately to pliocene) — 4. Glacier moraines of the Western highlands. River terraces and estuarine deposits. Paleogene ( = Eocene to miocene) — 3. Basalt lavas. 2. Fluviatile and lacustrine clays and sands, tin-ore drifts and leads. 1. Fossiliferous marine beds at Table Cape (= Eocene). 1. The researches of J. Dennant and the late Professor Ralph Tate have shown the marine fossiliferous beds at Table Cape to be of Eocene age. These strata are covered with the basalt, which, in the Island, appears to separate the lower from, the upper Tertiaries. 2. The extensive lacustrine deposits within the watershed of the Tamar and its tributaries were described long ago by Mr. Johnston, under the apt title of sediments of the Laun- ceston Tertiary basin. They cover an area of 600 square miles, and embrace the pre-basaltic or palaeogene clays and sands, which are spread all over that part of the Island, as well as the post-basaltic, or neogene, valley terraces. The tliickness of these beds is from 900 to 1000 feet. At Launceston, the ferruginous sands and clays of the Windmill Hill are palaeogene. They contain fossil impres- sions of the plant genera, Betula, Fagus, Quercus, Cinnamo- rnum, Banksia. At Dilston. Windermere, and Muddy Creek similar beds occur. At Carr Villa, the boring-core showed an impression of Betida at a depth of 500 feet. A bore at Belmont went down in the palaeogene sandstones and I GEOLOGY OF TASMANIA. 71 shales to 894 feet, without reaching bottom. This is equi- valent to about 200 feet below sear-level. At Beaconsfield, palaeogene clays rest in a gutter of palaeozoic rocks, 270 feet below sea-level, and their lowest layer is rich in fossil fruits {Sfondylostroh'us, Platycoila, Cordia, &c.), and a leaf of Ginnartiomu'rn has been recorded. Fossil conifers are also found in this bottom clay. In the N.E., the high plateau of sand and gravel, containing alluvial tin-ore, near Derby and Branxholm, which is capped with basalt, marks the ancient course of the Ringarooma River before it was choked with lava, and diverted to its present channel. At Burnie, in a white pipeclay below the basalt, imprints of leaves of European types have been found. At Waratah, leaf-imprints have been obtained from a greyish Tertiary sandstone, beneath 45 feet of basalt, at a height, of 2000 feet above sea-level. These leaves, have been determined by Mr. R. M. Johnston, as follows : — Eucalyptus kayseri U.S., Laurus spre?itii ?i.s., Quircus hischoffensis n.s., Ulmus tasmanicuSy Cycadites microphylla n.s. Leaf-beds of similar age, and containing impressions of Cinnamonmm, also occur in the cliff at Strahan. Tertiary leaf-beds also exist in the tin-drift in Thureau's deep lead at St. Helens. The basin of the Derwent exhibits a series of Tertiary sands and clays, the latter of which, at Cornelian Bay, Sandy Bay, One Tree Point, Glenora, &c., contain the usual impressions oiQuercus, Fagus, Salix, Cinnamomum, &c. The so-called travertin, at Geilston, contains Cypris cdhuryana (Johnston), conifer stumps, and leaf impressions of Quercus, Fagus, Salix, Cin- namom itm. At the head of Oyster Bay, near Swansea, there are Tertiary, probably palaeogene, clays, v/hich contain a good deal of clay ironstone. Beds and seams of lignite occur at Dilston, Evandale Junction, Kelly Basin, and other places in Tertiary areas. At Kelly Basin, such beds con- tain fossil resin, and at Evandale Junction the beds also en- close resin globules. 3. At the close of the Palaeogene, a great outpouring of basaltic lava took place, and this rock is very general throughout the Island, though rarer on the West Coast. Three types of basalt have been met with up to the pre- sent: — 1, olivine basalt; 2, nepheline bearing olivine basalt; 3, melilite basalt, associated with nephelinite. The first type is the common variety of the Island. It has over- spread the Campbell Town and Conara plains, and widely conceals sediments in the Launceston Tertiary basin. Its mineral constituents are uniformly felspar 4- augite -j- olivine. Its texture is doleritic on the coast N. of Le- froy, at Mount Horror, at Paddy's Peak, Hampshire. Fine 72 GEOLOGY OF TASMANIA. columnar structure may be seen in the quarry near the breakwater at Burnie. Dykes of this basalt traverse the granite at Lottah, and at the summit of the Blue Tier. At One Tree Point, Sandy Bay, a basalt is exposed which con- tains the red-iron olivine fayalite, visible under a hand-lens, as dark red spots (described by O. E. White and W. A. Macleod). Basalt-glass, or tachylyte, occurs in the basalt in several parts of the Island, e.g., Waratah, Richmond, Bothwell, &c, No craters are known. The second variety of basalt is that forming the remark- able bluffs at Circular Head and Table Cape. The late Professor Ulrich at one time determined it to be nepheline- bearing, but afterwards withdrew the reference to nepheline, believing the mineral in question to be apatite. Apatite is abundant in the rock, but recently microscopical examina- tion has shown nepheline to be present also. The structure is doleritic ; the mineral constituents are plagioclase -|- augite -f- olivine + nepheline. The third type is melilite basalt, with typical nephelinite, or nephelinite-dolerite, at the Shannon Tier, near Bothwell. The geological horizon has not yet been determined, but the age is believed to be Tertiary. 4. Neogene. — The post-basaltic valley terraces can only be separated from the earlier Tertiaries by position and lithological characters. Some of the gravel drifts of the Derwent, of the Longford plain, and in the neighbourhood of Launceston, belong to this division. The lignite beds of the Henty liiver contain leaves of Fagiis jonesii, (John- ston) and Acacia rneiringii (Johnston), both closely re- sembling existing species. The close of the Tertiary, or the beginning of the Quar- temary, witnessed a glacier epoch in the western part of the Island. The highlands round Barn Bluff, Mounts Tyn- dal, Sedgwick, Jukes, Darwin, &c., and the western edge of the great central plateau, abound with tarns, ice-scratched stones, and moraines. Signs of ice-action have been traced to sea-level on the West Coast, but the most abundant evi- dence is to be found above the 2000-feet level. No proof of glacier conditions m this period in the Eastern part of the Island has been adduced yet. Tin-ore and gold-ore are the most important of the mineral resources of the Tertiary system. These occur in the alluvial gravels and leads of the period. The sands in the Savage River, and other tributaries of the Pieman, have been worked for osmiridium, and, at Mount Stronach, for monazite. The zircon sand, near Table Cape, was also ex- ploited a few years ago. Tertiary clays are used largely GEOLOGY OF TASMANIA. 73 for brick-making and pottery; the gravels for road-making. Though there has beem great volcanic activity, there are no signs of Tertiary lode-deposits. Qvarternary. Recent — 3. River alluvium and sand dunes. 2. Raised beaches and helicidcc sandstone. Pleistocene — 1. River drifts. The later terrace drifts in the valleys of existing rivers are referred to the Pleistocene. Sand dunes, consolidated to shelly sandstones, occur on Cape Barren, Badger, Kangaroo, and other islands in Bass' Straits, containing shells of helix, succinea, &c. These sandstones sometimes overlie a raised beach. The raised beaches on the North Coast indicate elevation within the recent period. The foregoing sketch does not pretend to do more than merely outline the general geology of the Island. Much information has been drawn from the labours of Mr. R. M. Johnston, here acknowledged, but many important matters still require attention. Among these are — (1) age of the schists of Mounts Lyell and Read; (2) age of the horn- blende schists of the Rocky River; (3) age of the quartz- porphyry, or felsite, of Mounts Jukes and Darwin, and its relation to the granite; (4) age and nature of the Barn Bluff schists ; (5) age of the gneiss and schists of the Upper Forth > (6) connection (if any) of the Lynchford augite- syenito-porphyry with the felsites on Mount Jukes and Mount Read ; (7) geological occurrence of the Mesozoic dia- base ; (8) origin of the obsidian '' buttons " ; (9) connection of the nepheline basaltoid rocks at Circular Head and Table Cape with the prevailing normal basalts; (10) age of the elseolite syenites and phonolitic rocks at Port Cygnet and their boundaries; (11) origin of the lake basins in glacier areas and on the Tiers; (12) the nepheline and melilite rocks at Shannon Tier; (13) the occurrence of garnetiferous chlorite schist in granite at St. Helens, and numerous other questions fraught with interest to the geologist. These remarks may be closed by mention of the names of resident geologists, to whom inquirers may address theim- selves for information : — In the South : Mr. R. M. John- ston, stratigraphy and palaeontology; Mr. Thos. Stephens, M.A., Hobart, stratigraphy; Mr. O. E. White, Hobart, 74 UEOLOGY OF TASMANIA. eruptive rocks. In the NortK.: Mr. W. F. Petterd, Laun- ceston, mineralogy and petrology of the I&land; Mr. Geo. A. Waller, Assistant Government Geologist, Launceston, geology and ore deposits. In the West: Mr. F. J. Ernst, Zeelian, eruptive rocks and ore deposits; Mr. T. B. Moore, Strahan, glacial geology. In the East : Mr. Henry Grant, St. Helens, granites and tin-ore deposits. Suites of Tasmanian rocks, fossils, ores, and minerals may be seen at the Tasmanian Museum, Hobart (Mr. Alex. Morton. F.L.S., Curator) ; the Victoria Museum, Launces- ton (Mr. H. H. Scott, Curator) ; the Zeehan School of Mines (Mr. Reid, Director) ; the Government Geologist's Office, Launceston. A complete collection of Tasmanian minerals is owned by Mr. W. F. Petterd, Launceston. THE MINERALS OF TASMANIA. By W. F. Petterd, CM Z.S. To the geologist, the fascinating science of mineralogy must always be of the utmost importance, as it defines with remarkable exactitude the chemical constituents and com- binations of rock masses, and, thus interpreting their optical and physical characters assumed, it plays an important part part in the elucidation of the mysteries of the earth's crust. Moreover, in addition, the minerals of a country are invari- ably intimately associated with its industrial progress, in addition to being an important factor in its igneous and metamorphic geology. In this dual aspect this State affords a most prolific field, perhaps unequalled in the Common- wealth, for serious consideration. In this short article, I propose to review the subject of the mineralogy of this Island in an extremely concise manner, the object being, chiefly, to afford the members of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of Science a cursory glimpse into Nature's hidden objects of wealth, beauty, and scientific interest. It will be readily understood that the restricted space at the disposal of the writer effectually prevents full justice being done to an absorbing subject, which is of almost universal interest, viewed from the one or the other aspect. The economic result of practical mining operations, as carried on in this State, has been of a most satisfactory character, and has, without doubt, added greatly to the national wealth ; but, for detailed information under this head, reference must be made to the voluminous statistical information, and the general progress, and other reports, issued by the Mines Department of the local Government. Suffice it to say, under this head, that metallic ores and metals to the gross value of about fifteen million pounds sterling have been won during the past decade. This short article has been prepared for the collector of minerals as such, thus leaving the geological aspect of the subject to other hands, and the economic side of the question to its special State Department. It will be found that this Island is one of the most favoured hunting-grounds 76 THE MINERALS OF TA8MAKIA. for the mineral collector; its diversified topographical char- acter, with numerous mountains and valleys, affords special facilities for the prospector and miner, while its geology offers the wide range of the crystalline quartzite and schists of the Archeean and Silurian epochs to the Tertiary and Recent formations. In addition, the Island presents an al- most boundless variety of igneous rocks, ranging from the older and almost indecipherable f el sites to the effusive melilite and normal basalt, with their varieties. A prominent feature on the North-West and North-East and granite bosses, enclosing pegmatite dykes and elvan courses, which afford the minerals peculiar to these acidic rocks. The serpentine intrusions of the North and North- West add diversity to the region available to the mineral- ogist, while the apparently intrusive Mesozoic dolerite, which claims so large an extent of the Island, is not an altogether ban^en field for the ardent mineral collector. On almost every side something great or small will be found worthy of attention, and, should the excursion be extended to the northern portion of the State, the m_ost advanced enthusiast may rest assured that ample scope will be found for hammer and bag, with every reasonable certainty of his being able to add to the cabinet specimens both rare in nature and fine in quality. Concise Retrospect of the More Important and Interesting Minercds Known to Occur. Among the native elements may be mentioned the beauti- fully-crystallised alluvial masses of gold which have been and still are occasionally obtained in the district immedi- ately west of the mining township of Waratah. Native bismuth occurs, disseminated through a hornblende matrix, at Mount Ramsay, and, in association with fluor, wolframite, and chalcopyrite, at Mount Black, and a mass, weighing 55 lbs., was obtained near Weldborough in alluvial tin-drift. Native copper is found, as foil of extreme tenuity, in the cleavages of the killas, or slate, adjacent to the celebrated Mount Bischoff Mine, and is abundant in the form of arbor- escent masses about Mount Lyell ; in fact, at one locality it has been worked as an ore of the metal. Native silver occurs at several of the Zeehan and Heazlewood mines, and some remarkably beautiful examples have occasionally come to light. Sulphur has been obtained in some quantity in the Mount Bischoff workings, and a limited dusting of this element has been observed on some of the galenite won at THE MINERALS OF TASMANIA. • // the Montana Aliue, Zeehan. Diamonds have been shown as from the Mount Donaldson district, Pieman River; but the reported find needs confirmation. Osmiridium occurs in association with gold at the Savage River and other locali- ties north of the Pieman, and, in small particles, near the Blue Tier, Beaconsfield. This alloy has been extensively sought for recently for the iridium contents, but v.'ith*only scant success as regards quantity. Native iron is known from tv;o recorded meteorites; the first obtained at the Blue Tier, and the second, a small but veritable specimen, from the Castray River. (Proc. Royal Soc, Tas., 1901.) Tel- lurides are not actually known to occur, but the refining of bismuth from the Shepherd and Murphy Mine, Bell Mount, reveals the fact that tellurium occurred as a contamination. It is, therefore, reasonable to anticipate the discovery of tel- luride of this metal. In the sulphides the majority of those usually encountered in metalliferous localities are abundant, with several of exceptional occurrence, sucH as dufrenosite, huascolite, stromicyerite, zinkenite, and jamiesonite. Stan- nite is mined as an ore at the Oonah Mine, Zeehan, where it is occasionally found intermixed with bismuthenite, a most unusual association. Fahlerz, or tetrahedrite, is re- markably abundant, often highly argentiferous, such as that mined' at the Curtin and Davis Mine, near Ringville. where it frequently assays several hundreds of ounces of silver to the ton ; w^hile specimens have been obtained at the Hercules Mine assaying as high as 3000 ounces. At the Pleazlewood, a richly-nickeliferous variety of pentlandite occurs, which has been named heazlewoodite. Bornite of. most beautiful colouration is commonly found in the Mount Lyell district, and stibnite only occurs in the auriferous reefs of the Lefroy district. Tennantite is said to occur at the Mount Lyell Mine, associated with cupriferous pyrite and chalcopyrite. On the North-East Dundas field, com- pound sulphides of unrecognised species are occasionally met with. They are homogeneous interchanges of the elements S, As, Bi, Cu, Fe, and Pb, with more or less Ag and Au. A remarkably fine example was obtained at the No. 1 Curtin and Davis Mine, in the form of an interwoven group of large prismatic crystals, longitudinally striate. This, on analysis, proved to be a sulphide of bismuth and antimony, with small proportions of iron and copper. To this I pro- pose to apply the specific name of histrixite (porcupine ore). The metallic minerals of this portion of the State are well worthy of study. At Mounts Reid and Murchison are enormous deposits of the mixed sulphides of Fe, P, Zn, and Cu — all more or less auriferous (sometimes to a high 78 THE MINKHAl.S OF TASMANIA. degree) and argentiferous. They are, apparently, the re- sult of metasomatic replacement. The arsenides and sulph-arsenides are but sparsely represented in variety, but are occasionally abundant individually. Arsenopyrite is very characteristic of the mineral field in the vicinity of the Scamander River, and leucopyrite occurs in the Colebrook Mine, in company with axinite and pyrrhotite, and also con- taminates the ores of the North-East Dundas district. At Barn Bluff, zones of the older schists occur, impregnated with pyrrhotite and cupriferous pyrite. A noticeable feature in this last-mentioned district is that, on the ex- posure of the freshly-taken-out mineralised rock it is quickly coated with an efflorescence of white and yellow iron sul- phates. At the McKimmie Mine, near the junction of the serpentine and Silurian slates, some quantity of massive pure niccolite was obtained and exported, but it is not now- accessible. The compounds of CI, Br, and I are but sparsely represented; the superficial portions of some of the silver-lead lodes occasionally contain appreciable quantitie.^ of cerargyrite, embolite, and, still more rarely, iodyrite. A very impure Halite, occurs at the Salt Pans, east of Oat- lands, and atacamite has been observed in comparatively small spangles on the outcrop of the Comet Mine. The most noticeable discovery in this group is a species recently described under the name of petterdite, and collected in the silicious outcrop of the Britannia Mine, near Zeehan. It is a chloride of lead, containing AsgO^, and PgO;, with a smaller quantity of Sb^O.^. It occurs in implante groups of quasi-hexagonal plates of somewhat large size and attractive appearance. Of the fluorine compounds, fluorite is abundant at the Mount Bischoff Mine, where, also, prosopite — a hydrous fluorite of aluminium and calcium — also occurs as a second- ary product. At the Republic Tin Mine, Ben Lomond, as well as at the Mount Black Mine, fluorite is obtained from white to a dark purple colour, sometimes in well-cut but small cubes. Its variety, chlorophane, occurs at Bischoff and Hampshire in amorphous and crystalline bunches. In the assemblage containing the oxides of the gold, iron, and tin groups, the number is naturally somevv^hat exten- sive, and, individually, often exists in considerable quantity, such as asbolite (occasionally cobaltiferous) ; hematite — that at the Blythe River being of remarkable purity, and practic- ally inexhaustible abundance — limonite, pyrolusite, &c. Among the more noticeable are the fine crystal develop- ments of cuprite in the vicinity of Mount Lyell. Its lovely THE MINERALS OF TASMANIA. 79 variety, chalcotrichite, occurs in small capillary tufts of an intense crimson colour at the Colebrook Mine, near Ring- ville. The sapphire occasionally abounds in tin-drift in the North-East mining districts, and is sometimes of the beauti- ful royal blue so eagerly sought after by gem-hunters. The pleonaste, or black spinel, on the same tin-fields, is one of the many common minerals known to the miner as "' Black Jack." On the Zeehan and Dundas field very fine speci- mens of stilphnosiderite and massicot have been met v.itii. Cassisterite occurs in fine, well-developed, intensely black crystals — often macled — at the Lottah Mine at Blue Tier, Bell Mount, and Storey's Creek, in the Ben Lomond district. At Constables' Creek, on the North-East Coast, bunches of well-formed mahogany-coloured crystal groups have been met with, and at Mount Bischoff the impregnations of this mineral in the local topaz-porphyry are of special interest. At the Rex Hill Mine, the tin-ore is impregnated through- out a granite rock, in which the large orthoclase crystals are pseudomorphed to cassiterite, this being the first recorded instance of such a replacement in this State, or, perhaps, outside the classical locality in Cornwall, England. Alluvial tin is found in great profusion of colouration ; it varies from glassy (almost colourless), to amber, brown, and ruby, hence the local appellations of resin tin, ruby tin. and so on. Among the oxides of the elements of the arsenic and sulphur groups, nothing worthy of special mention has been exhumed, with the exception of wolframite, bismite, and cervantite. Chief among the elements of the carbon-silicon group is the oxide of the latter quartz. It appears here in hosts of varieties, even for so variable a mineral. Among the moire common forms are rock crystal, chalcedony, cornelian, ca- cholong, and infusorial earth. The milk-opal, with an oc- casional splash of the fire and colour of the precious variety, is abundant, impregnating and seaming the Permo-Carbon- iferous sandstone at Bothwell, and wood opal (silica after organic matter) has been obtained in very beautiful and perfect examples, so much so that much of the material is worthy the attention of the lapidary. In the bi-silicatea, which comprise the rock forming iron-magnesium minerals, are pyroxene and hornblende, with their array of conflicting variations, both as regards diversity of colour and growth. In the Heazlewood district, the rhombic form, bronzite, and its variety bastite, are obtained in characteristic develop- ment, and the monoclinic diallage, often altered to schiller- spar, occurs at the same locality. Well-formed crystals of 80 THE MINERALS OF TASMANIA. augite of fair size may be collected in quantity near the Rail- way Bridge which spans the Hellyer River. At the Cole- brook Mine, iiralite reaches a remarkable state of develop- ment. The average specimens of hornblende, tremolitei, and actinolite are found, while beryl of comparatively enormous size, but dull colouration, occurs in a pegmatite dyke about 500 yards north of the Republic Mine, Ben Lomond. It is associated with extremely fine and perfect crystals of an almost white orthoclase. the individuals of which sometimes reach several inches in length, and are occasionally twnined. Among the unisilicates, axinite is to the front as a pro- minent species. It is almost solely confined to the igneous formation known as the Colebrook Mine. It is in large violet-coloured plates, freely interspersed in association Vvith calcite, pyrrhotite, datolite, arsenical and iron pyrites. Garnet of several sub-species is occasionally met with, and a new manganese variety, which has been named Johnston- tite, has been discovered in the peculiar rocks at Port Cygnet. At Hampshire Hills there is an extensive develop- ment of weli-crystallised idocrase, which, practically, illus- trates a contact phenomenon. The white silvery lithia variety of muscovite, which is termed zinnwaldite, is plenti- ful in the tin-districts on the North-East Coast. Of the whole group of felspars, as occurring in this State, orthoclase has its highest crystallographic development. In the tra- chj'-tes and phoiiolites of Port Cygnet wonderfully-fine crystals are easily broken free of the rock, and these often show both Baveno and Carlsbad twinning; its variety, sani- dine, also occurs at the same locality in almost colourless glassy crystals. A massive white scapolite has been un- earthed at Beaconsfield. Saussurite is abundant in the altered gabbros of the Heazlewood district'. In th'e alluvial tin-drifts of the North-East and at Shekelton, near Table Cape, the zircon occurs in extreme profusion. Many from the former locality are really nice gem-stones when properly cut, and are reported to be among the most lustrous in the world. In the rock-forming section of the group we can claim hauynite, nephelite, and melilite, all old-world forms only recently identified as occurring here, the last giving its prefix to a basaltic rock at Shannon Tier. Here we must note those remarkable pellets of mystery, the only known form of acidic volcanic glass which has, so far been discovered in the Island, and which are usually termed obsidian buttons, but more recently obsidianites and australites. Whence came they, and why have they been so long neglected by our local geologists and physicists? THE MINERALS OF TASMANIA. 81 Although obscure in appearance and diminutive in size, they are difficult of interpretation, and offer a field of in- vestigation worthy of any student of natural phenomena. That they are extra-terrestrial is almost beyond doubt; in any case, it is obviously apparent that they can have no connection with the known Tertiary volcanic rocks as occur- ring here, for these are all of basic composition. The writer is strongly of the opinion that but one shower of these ob- jects occurred, in post^Pliocene times, which impinged upon the earth in a north-western track, crudely extending from, this Island to Victoria, from thence to the northern part of West Australia, and thence to the western islands of the Malay Archipelago. It has been noticed that examples col- lected from many points along the track indicated have the same general characteristics as regards form, colouration, size, and composition. Moreover, they almost invariably present the same amount of surface abrasion. Recent writers have shown that there are reasonable grounds for the supposition that they are of meteoric origin, but there still exists a remarkable diversion of opinion as to their source. In the sub-silicates we possess a few species which will repay attention, not the least interesting being the water- clear topaz, which occurs so abundantly al^out Mount Cameron, at Bell Mount, and at Killikrankie Bay, Flinders Island. These make veritable gem-stones of high lustre and limpid beauty, and are often used as such. Sometimes they are of unusually large size and good crystallogi-aphic development. The variety pycnite occurs at Bischoff; in patches of radiating disks. The ordinary black schorl, or, more scientifically, tourmaline, is very abundant in large masses and radiating bunches wherever the stanniferous granite prevails. A hair-brown variety has been collected near the northern flank of Mount Heemskirk, and its near ally, zeuxite, which assumes an aciculated habit, is plentiful at Mount Bischoff, its only locality in this Island. Our local petrologists know how microscopically abundant and disseminated sphene has proved to be. At the Lucy Riv^or, a tributary of the Pieman, our only known sillimanite schist occurs. In the zeolites, we have a goodly array of species, in conformity with the variety and profusion of tiieir parents, the effusive and other igneous rocks. Analcite is often met with in the hauyne-phonolite of the Port Cygnet series. The prevailing dolerite affords scolecite" whi.^h affects a radiating structure. In the nephelinite of the Shannon Tier the white natrolite is extremely plentiful, freely bespattering the rock with bunches, and coating the 82 rUK M[\KHAI,S OF TASMANIA. vuglis. At Bell Mount, remarkably-fine double-terminated crystals of gmelinite have been obtained. The ordinary forms, such as chabazite, phacolite, and phillipsite, are to be found in more or less quantity, and in all states of preserva- tion, where the Tertiary effusive rocks prevail. In the basaltvitrophyre, which is, apparently, common about Shef- field, numerous beautiful zeolites abound, including radiat- ing masses of stilbite several inches in length. The mar- garophyllite section embraces a large number of those in- definite so-called mineral species which, as a rule, do not afford the mineralogist any serious interest. It includes the normal chlorite, and a variety poor in iron, which ia termed leuchtenbergite, which has been identified in the variolite rock at the Magnet Mine, beyond Waratah. In every way, typical gilbertite is abundant at the Anchor Tin Mine. Sericite occurs as sericite-schist, and talc of a beautiful pale-green colouration and glimmering lustre has been discovered on the north flank of the Meredith Range. A thin seam of green pyrophyllite, highly auriferous, occurs at the Mount Lyell Mine, as a thin flucan between the ore- body and the adjacent country-rock. Serpentine in con- siderable variability is prominent at the Forth, near Bea- consfield, at the Heazlewood, on the Huskisson River, and at Dundas, that from the last-mentioned locality often showing splashes and blebs of kammererite. At the Heazlewood this substance appears to merge into the ultrarbasic rnd gabbroid rocks of the locality. In the class of anhydrous phosphates, apatite is only known in very limited quantity at the Hampshire Hills; the same may be said of mimetite and plumbogummite. Pyromorphite, in compact entangle- ments of the hexagonal prisms of a peculiar dark-gi^een colour, has been found plentiful at one of the Zeehan silver- lead mines, and carminite has recently been identified from the Magnet Mine. At the Britannia Mine, Zeehan, a small quantity of campylite, showing the characteristic barrel- shaped crystals, is known to occur. Quite recently diligent search has been made for the phosphate of the cerium metals, monazite, on account of the thorium contents, which element, in the form of nitrate, is used in the manufacture of the incandescent gas mantles. It has been found to occur in the form of heavy alluvial sand, practically, wher- ever the granite is met with. In this form it has been obtained at the Stanley River, "a tributary of the Pieman, at Mount Stronach, at the Pioneer Mine, at the South Esk Tin Mine, and at Derby; but, so far, not in suflftcient quantity to render it of economic value. Of the hydrous phosphates, wavellite is, perhaps, the most abundant -nd THE Mr:^ERALS' OF TASMANIA. 83 mineralogically interesting. It is found in aggregates of mining, radiating disks of silvery white, implanted on the cleavages of the Silurian slate at Back Creek. It is often accompanied by varisite, and a little of the former has been noticed at Mount Ramsay. Clustering radiating acicular bunches of pale blue symplesite occur on ferro-manganese gossan in the upper levels of the Magnet Mine, and evansite has been obtained at Zeehan under similar circumstances. At the Comet, Dundas. and other silver-lead mines, masses of bindheimite have been mined, but good examples are not now. by any means, easily obtainable. Of the tungstates, &c., a few species are known to occur occasionally, such as scheelite (Mount Ramsay), wolframite, and a small quantity of vanadinite. The sulphates and chromates of the metals are always of interest, and welcome additions to the cabinet of the col- lector, as they are often beautifully crystallised and attrac- tively coloured. The Comet Mine has become somewhat celebrated as the producer of, perhaps, the finest groups of anglesite that have been found in the Commonwealth, and the carbonates of lead (cerussite) from the same mine have an almost equal reputation. But the mineral which has rendered this State famous among collectors in all parts of the world is the inimitable crocoisite, especially that ob- tained some few years back at the Adelaide Mine, Dundas. Its intensely-bright hyacinth-red colour, prismatic habit, and adamantine lustre render it one of the most attractive objects in the mineral w^orld, and it has, consequently, been most eagerly sought after by all who admire Nature's handi- work. Few collectors of any note are now without speci- mens of this beautiful substance, but still the demand ap- pears to continue ; from far and wide, applications are con- tinually being made for the mineral as occurring in the Dundas Mine. It has also been obtained at a few other localities, notablv, in the Heazlewood district and at the Magnet Mine. On the East Coast, the extremely-rare phospho-chromate of lead and copper, vauquelinite, has been obtained. It as- sumes a curious siskin-green colour, and is almost invariably amorphous, without any indication of crystallisation. It has been thought to be practically confined to the silver-lead region of Siberia, and, therefore, its detection in this State is of more than passing interest. The hydrous section is represented by alunogen, epsomite, melanterite, and a few others of like nature, including a peculiar group of iron-chrome sulphates from the Blue Tier^ 84 'IHK MINKIUI.S OF 'lASMAMA. near Beaconsfield. In the carbonates we have fine crystal- lised cerussitc from the Mount' Reid and Comet mines, and equally attractive delicate-pink rhodochrosite from the Her- cules Mine. On all our silver-lead fields siderite is a com- mon lode gangue, and, as such, it not unrarely shows finely- developed crystals, and the same applies to the dolomite of the Magnet Mine. In the hydrous class of carbonates is the local dundasite, and the bright apple-green zaratite — the latter confined to the serpentine region at the Heazle- wood. It is, undoubtedly, the finest occurrence known of this comparatively rare substance. In habit it assumes a varnish-like coating on pentlandite and chromite. The carbonates of copper malachite and azurite both occur, but not nearly so highly developed as at many localities on the Mainland. Among the hydro-carbons there are a iev^ worthy of more than pasing interest, among which may be mentioned the tasmanite of the Merse3^ the Delionite, or -^^nnel coal, of Mount Pelion, and the asphaltum founa on the eastern Bass Straits islands ; but, unfortunately, not in quantity to render it of commercial importance. With the Tertiary lignite at Macquarie Harbour, masses of copalite. or a species allied thereto, are often met with. It burns with a bright, smoky flanae, and gives off an aromatic odour. In conclusion, it may be well to remark that the total number of distinct species known to mineralogical science may be estimated at between two and three thousand, and of this number a few years' investigation has resulted in the discovery and recording of not less than 300 in Tasmania; so it may be conceded that within the restricted confines of this Island we have an unusually prolific harvest of these compounds and native elements. In all reasonable pro- bability, this is a larger number than has been recorded fo? any equal area on the surface of the globe, an area, more- over, which is, apparently, far from exhausted. It may be of interest to state that about forty species occurring here have not, so far as known, been discovered on the mainland of Australia, while at least five are not known elsewhere. Several of the more prominent for beauty and scientific interest, such as crocoisite, vauquelinite, zaratite, datolite, and axinite, were, until recent years, supposed to be confined to classic localities, but in our little Island are comparatively abundant and attainable. The magnetic survey of Tasmania. By Professor E. G. Hogg, M.A. \_Read before the Royal Society of Tasmania, 13 August, 1900.] Section 1. The History of Magnetic Observation in Tasmania. Section II. Magnetic work in Victoria and New Zealand. Section III. The work of the proposed Survey. I. The History of Magnetic Ohseroation in Tasmania, The earliest record of a magnetic determination in Tasmania I owe to the kindness of Mr. T. Stephens, M.A., one of the Vice-Presidents of this Society. From his communication to me it appears that when Sir John Franklin founded the village of Lachlan in 1839 the magnetic declination at Lachlan was 10° 10^ E. In the first volume of the Tasmanian Journalis a copy of the communication addressed bv Sir James Ross on the 7th April, 1841, to the British Admiralty, in which he sets forth, among other matters, his discovery of the position of the southern magnetic pole. In latitude 76° 14^ S. and longitude 164° E. he found tlie magnetic dip to be 88-40°, and the declination 109*24° E. ; from which he deduces that he was then only 160 miles from the magnetic pole. • The impetus given to magnetic research by his discovery was, probably, the determining cause which led to the subsequent selection of Hobart as the spot on which were afterwards carried out the first systematic magnetic records ever made in Australasia. From its southerly latitude, its situation relative to the great land-mass of Australia, and its position almost in antipodes to Great Britain, Tasmania is eminently fitted as a station for magnetic observations, and, recognising this, the Royal Society of London, in the early forties, fitted out a complete survey party, with the latest form of instruments, to investigate, under the superintendence of Lieut. Kay, R.N., the magnetic elements of Tasmania, and to determine the rate of variation of these elements. The instruments were set up in the Domain, not far from Government House, and observations Avere taken cover- ing the period from 1842 to 1850. The results obtained in Hobart were subjected to the closest examination by Sir Edward Sabine, and from them, taken in conjunction 82 M AnNF/nc survioy of Tasmania. with observations made at a later date in other colonial observatories, some important generalisations were obtained by Sabine with re^^ard to the ma^'netic pro- blem in the sonthern hemisphere. It is a matter of reij^ret that neither in the library of this Society, nor in the })nblic and i)arliamentary libraries of Hobart, is to be fonnd the official publication of either the magnetic observations made by Lieut. Kay and his colleagues in Hobart, or of Sabine's report thei'eon. In this context it may not be out of place to state that in the Hobart Observatory is a large accumulation — perhaps 60 or 70 vohimes — of the actual records of observation made by the members of the Royal Society's expedition. The scientific enthusiasm of the Govenunent Astronomer, Mr. Kingsmill, has rescued them from the decay into which they were likely to speedily depart if left in the condition in which he found them when he took posses- sion of the observatory : and, though they now rest in the decent obscurity of a shelf in the observatory cellar, this scarcely seems to be a suitable place of interment, and I trust that this Society, as the leading scientific body in Tasmania, may see its way to secure these records, which are, so to speak, scientific heirlooms of the greatest interest. I will now lay before the Society a brief resume of the results obtained by Lieut. Kay and his party during their prolonged stay in Hobart. In 1843 the mean declination of Hobart was 9° 53' 19^' E., and between this date and 1848 it increased to 10° 0' 37", giving a total increase of 1' 18", or an annual increase of about V '21". During the period covered by Lieut. Kay's observations the dip fell from 70° 42' 18' in 1842, to 70° 32' in 1845 : it then began to increase, and in 1848 it had attained the value of 70° 35' 42". The happy accident that, during Lieut. Kay's stay in Hobart, the dip passed through a minimum value, is a matter for much congratulation. It is also of great interest to find that, during the period under consideration, the mean value of the horizontal intensity also passed through a minimum value. This minimum value was reached, not in 1845, when the dip was at a minimum, but three years later — in 1848. An admirable account of the instruments used by Lieut. Kay in his magnetic work in BY PROFESSOR E. G. HOGG, M.A. 83 Hobart is given by liim in Vol. I. (1842) of the Taa^ manian Jvurnal. A long gap is now met with in the magnetic history of Tasmania. No absolute determination of the magnetic elements was again made until the v^Isit of Dr. Neumayer to Hobart, in 1863. This observer determined the mean declination of Hobart in 1863 as 10° 25' 9" E. If the mean rate of increase inferred by Lieut. Kay from his observations had held true over the period between 1843 and 1863 the declination should have been 10<* 22' ^o". The difference between the observed and computed values of the declination for 1863 may (in part) be accounted for by the fact that the stations selected by Lieut. Kay and Dr. Neumayer were not identical, though both were situate in the Domain. I shall, later on, have occasion to refer to the part played in magnetic! work in Tasmania by the volcanic rock — known as Tasmanian greenstone — which occurs so widely in the S.E. of the Colony, and, in particular, outcrops so much in the Domain. Accepting Dr. Neumayer's result as correct, the increase of declination of Hobart between 1843 and 1863 amounts to 31' 50", giving a mean armual increase of 1' 36", as against 1' 27' computed from Lieut. Kay's observations. The declination in 1881, when the next determination was made, should have been 10° 53' 48"; assuming the previous rate of increase to have been maintained, but the observations made by His Excellency Sir J. H. Lefroy at the station employed by Kay discovered the declination to be only 8° 49' 2" E., a quantity somewhat more than 2° in defect of the com- puted value. Although the instrument employed by vSir .L Lefroy — a prismatic compass — is not the most delicate instrument for determining the magnetic decli- nation, the ditference between the observed and computed values of the declination in 1881 cannot be put down entirely to errors of observation. The explanation is not far to seek : between the dates mentioned the declination must have attained a maximum, and was, in 1S81, proceeding to a minimum. In the neighbouring Colony of Victoria we know that in the 15 years pre- ceding 1881 the declination decreased at the rate of about '1' ])er annum, and from what we know of the secular variations elsewhere, it is permissible to assume 84 MAGNETIC SURVEY OF TASMANIA. that a state of affairs obtained in Tasmania similar to that in Victoria. If the same weio^ht be attached to Sir J. Lefroy's determination as to that of Dr. Neumayer, we should have that, durins^ the period under discussion, the annual average rate of change of declination was no less than 5' — assumino^ that the maximum declina- tion was neached in 1863 — the most suitable hypothesis for reducing the change of declination to a minimum. Seeing that the annual rate of change in Victoria between 1866 and 1881 onl}^ amounted to 2', it is diffi- cult to accept for Tasmania an annual average rate of change so large as 5'. The explanation may lie in the rough method of determination employed by Sir J. Lefroy ; at all events, it is a matter of some importance that this difficulty should be cleared up. If any magnetic measurements were made by the American expedition to Hobart to observe the transit of Venus in 1874, I have been unable to find them. The same remark applies to the observations made by the Austrian scientific expedition which visited Hobart between two and three years ago. As, however, the obser- vations of the lastmentioned party were made at the Obser- vatory, where the highly magnetic greenstone outcrops, their results are quite valueless for the purposes of com- parison with those of Kay and Neumayer. The results of the observations taken by Lieutenant Colbeck and Mr. Bernacchiof the Southern Cross, during the recent stay of that vessel in Hobart, have not yet reached me. This brief summary of the history of magnetic research in Tasmania shows that during the visit of the Royal Society of London's expedition both the dip and the horizontal intensity passed through minimum values, and leads us to infer that after Dr. Neiima,yer's visit the declination passed through a maximum value, but when this occurred we do not know, and what is the present annual rate of change of the declination we do not know IL — Maqnetic loork in Victoria and Neic Zealand. Absolute magnetic measurements were first begun in Victoria, in 1858, by Dr. Neumayer. Between that date and February, 1863, he carried out, witliout interruption, hourly readings of the magnetic elements, these differen- BY PROFESSOR E. G. HOGG, M.A. 83 tial observations being kept under control by frequent determinations of the absolute values of the magnetic elements, eight such absolute determinations being made, on the average, each year. During the same period Dr. Neumayer made a complete magnetic survey of Victoria, the magnetic elements being measured at no less than 235 stations. After the departure of Dr. Neumayer from Australia, absolute measurements of the elements were made from time to time by Mr. Ellery. F.R.S., then Government Astronomer, with Neumayer's instru- ments, until 1865. In the following year a new set of instruments was provided for the magnetic observatory, and since that time the absolute values of the magnetic elements have been determined about ten times each year. This work is now being carried on by Mr. i>aracchi, F.R.A.S., Government Astronomer, to whom I am indebted for this brief sketch of the history of magnetic observations in Victoria. Some few years ago the question of the magnetic survey of New Zealand was brought before the Govern- ment of that country, who decided to devote the sum of £500 a year to the purpose. The work was entrusted to Mr. Coleridge Farr, B.Sc , and a complete set of instruments was borrowed for him from the Kew Maef- netic Observatory At the meeting of the Australian Science Association held at iNlelbourne last January, a report was made to the Association by Mr. Farr, on the subject of the survey, from which it appears that up to that date he had succeeded in making absolute deter- minations of the magnetic elements at 69 stations. I IT. — The work of the propo.'ied Survey. The investigation of magnetic phenomena may be carried on in two ways — either in the magnetic observa- tory, or by survey work in the field. The date seems far distant when Tasmania will possess a magnetic obser- vatory, though, perhaps, when the value of Tasmania as a meteorological station is more fully appreciated, it may be possible to secure a magnetic observatory, to b;; worked in conjunction with a properly equipped meteor- ological observatory. The magnetic survey of a country stands on a somewhat different footing : though its work is of the highest scientific value, it is not without its 86 MAGNETIC SURVEY OF TASMANIA. utilitarian aspect, as it may contribute information of ^reat im}3ortance to the sciences of navigation and surveying. I will now proceed to lay before this Society a brief account of the work proposed to be done by Professor M'Aulay and myself in connection with the magnetic survey of Tasmania, which it is our intention to begin during the coming summer. The instruments to be employed are the bifilar mag- netometer and declinometer of the latest Kew pattern ; they have been lent to us by the University of Sydney, throusrh the kind offices of Professor Pollock of that University. Having regard to the short time — 8 or 10 weeks — during which the instruments wdl be at our disposal, we consider that the most valuable results will be obtained by limiting our observations, for this summer at least, to about 10 well-selected stations. By this means we hope to be able to get a fairly complete grip of the general magnetic distribution in Tasmania, and expect that the information disclosed by this summer's work will be of the greatest value when we come to select stations of observation at any future time. The stations we propose to select are : — Hobart, Port Esperance, Port Davey, Strahan, Mt. Lyell, Wynyard, Longford, Scottsdale, St. Helens, Spring Bay. If time permit, Oatlands will also be made a station of observation. It will be seen that the places selected are fairly spaced through the Island of Tasmania ; if the magnetic elements are determined at these points, it will be easy to compute them approximately for any other station. Our selection of the stations enumerated has been largely guided by geological considerations, owing to the prevalence in Tasmania of magnetic rocks. At a meeting of this Society held as far back as the 2nd April, 1845, attention was drawn by Mr. H. C. Gunn to the magnetic properties of the greenstone taken from the summit of Brady's Look-Out, and most surveyors of experience in Tasmania can testify to abnormal devia- tions of their compasses ai-ising from masses of green- stone and basalt close at hand. An interesting illustra- tion of this is to be found in the University grounds, where the declination varies from 7° E. to 11° E., BY PROFESSOIl E. G. HOGG, M.A. 87 according to the spot at which the instruments are set up. It may be added, that highly magnetic greenstone occurs on the summit of Mount Wellington. Our sites of observation have obviously been chosen so as to avoid? as far as possible, proximity to volcanic masses known or suspected to be magnetic. At each of the selected stations we propose to deter- mine, in absolute measure, the declination, dip, and horizontal magnetic intensity. These quantities being known for ten places, well distributed over the Island, we shall be in a position to construct a rough magnetic map of the country, on which the iso-magnetic lines will be shown. This map, as a first approximation, will not allow for the abnormal magnetic phenomena introduced by the greenstone and basalt : the determination of the local abnormalities so introduced must be left to some future time. The variation of the magnetic elements is of not less scientific interest than the determination of the absolute values of the elements themselves, at any given date. To ascertain the variation, it will be necessary to redetermine, after an interval of a few years, the magnetic elements at the stations previously employed ; and to properly eli'ect this, it is necessary that the sites of observation should be suitably marked, so that future observers may have no difficulty in picking them up. The erection of permanent marks, such as are employed in all important geodetic operations, a^^pears, to Pro- fessor iVTAulay and myself, to be so important that we have laid before the present Government of the Colony an application for a grant of £150, to defray the cost of their erection and other incidental expenses incurred in the survey. In the event of this grant of the public moneys being made, Ave propose that the work of the survey should be carried out in co-operation with the Surveyor-General's Department. We are assured of the cordial assistance of the Surveyor-General in all matters connected with the survey. At the selected stations of observation we propose to mark out the true geographical meridian, and, when the stations are suitable, to determine the bearings relative to the site of observation, of any prominent landmarks in view. The information so acquired may be of value in supplementing that already acquired for the purpose 88 MAGNETIC SURVEY OE TASMANIA. of constructing" tlic iiia|) of Ta!?mania. A full descrip- tion of the exact locality of each site of observation will he lodged with tlie Surveyor-General, together with a detailed account of the method employed to lay out the meridian. It is scarcely necessary for me to detain the members of this Society by pointing out the importance, to all concerned with navigation, of an accurate knowledge of the magnetic declination, and of its rate of variation. So many of our selected stations are on the shore-line of Tasmania, that we hope to be able to make some con- siderable additions to the information already acquired on these points. With the exception of the large properties of the Van Diemen's Land Company, whose boundaries were laid down by astronomical methods, it may be said that surveying in Tasmania has been, in the past, practically based on magnetic methods. The element of uncertainty introduced into surveys by the variation of the declination may not obtrude itself in any Held work for some time, but directly any attempt is made to collate the county maps with the trigonometical survey, there is reason to fear that grave discrepancies will show themselves. Survey- ing according to astronomical methods is in many parts of Tasmania very tedious and difficult, owing to the climate, and a more complete knowledge of the declination than is now possessed would be useful and convenient to surveyors, especially in the case of isolated surveys, and groups of surveys being made in new districts. It is to be hoped that before long the trigonometrical survey of Tasmania will be proceeded with, so that a new map of the Island may be compiled ; and it is probable that much information of value towards this end may be collected during the magnetic survey. There are long gaps in the magnetic history of Tas- mania, but when an accurate knowledge of the variation of the magnetic elements has been again attained, it may be possible, by analysing the magnetic records of Mel- bourne and Sydney, to reconstruct the past magnetic history of Tasmania, and form an approximately correct idea of the magnetic changes which have taken place since Lieutenant Kay first set up his instruments, in Hobart some sixty years ago. BOTANY. By L. EoDWAY. The first thing that strikes the student of botany when he observes the more conspicuous vegetable growth of Tas- mania is what would naturally be expected, namely, the close relationship between the flora of this and nearest ex- tensive tract of land, the south-eastern portion of Australia, Another feature of interest is the vast number of European aliens which have established themselves, and, in the more settled centres, threaten to exterminate the native growth, at least of the herbaceous plants. We may estimate that, in Tasmania, with a fairly inclusive definition of the word species, a collector may amass about 1100 flowering plants and ferns which may be considered native, or established Out of this collection no less than 110 have been introduced from Europe, about 3 from America, 2 from Africa, and 4 or 5 from the neighbouring States in Australia and New Zealand. A phenomenon of great interest to students of distribution is that, out of our small flora, no less than 68 indigenous forms are common also to England. Of en- demic species, we have the respectable total of 142. By far the greater number o/f the balance, 770, are confined to south-eastern Australia; about 20 per cent, spread to Queensland, New Zealand, and the eastern borders of Western Australia, while a few species extend even to South America and Japan. Of the special features of the landscape here, as in Aus- tralia, it is dominated by the sombre Myrtacese ; but in number of species of this order, Tasmania is poor. Of Eucalypts we -have but about 13 species, against 250 for Australia, and of the whole order 29, against about 750, though it should be noted that of this large number Western Australia alone claims nearly 500 endemic species. One other order of plants gives a marked feature to the country in parts, the Casuarinece, or native oaks. Their equisetum- like foliage gives them the aspect of a survival from an 86 BOTANY. earlier age. The order is small, and, except C. equisetifolia^ which spreads from Polynesia to Asia and Africa, is con- lined to Australia. That ancient and keenly-interesting order Froteacece is very poorly represented in Tasmania. We possess but 24 species, and out of these 11 are endemic. Of the large genus Grevillea, of which Australia can boast some 173 foiins, Tasmania can only lay claim to one, G. australis, and, in TIakta, to 7 out of 115 ; Conospermtim, 1 out of 36; Per- sonia, 2 of 70;, Banksia, 2 of 50. Many large genera are quite unrepresented. On the other hand, of the ancient genus Orites, whose ancestors may be still traced in the Cre- taceus period, Tasmania absorbs as her exclusive possession 4 out of the 6 existing in the present day. Also, the mono typic genera, BeUendena, Agastachys, and Cenarrhenes, are endemic. The Legummosce, and Comfositce. here, as else- where, form a preponderance of wild flora. Among the former, the Acacias constitute a graceful and beautiful por- tion of the shrubland so noivel to the European visitor, and none of them possess this grace- and beauty more than our endemic prickly mimosa, the drooping A. riceana. There is nothing about the Corrvpositce that calls for exceptional notice,' except the feature common to the Southern Hemi- sphere, the numerous forms of everlastings. The asters are fairly numerous, but are mostly shrubs {OUarias). The wild daisies {Brachy comes) are mostly blue or mauve, and the Senecios occasionally are arborescent. AhrotaiieJIa forsteriokles, which occurs only on mountain-tops, forms dense pulvinate masses, and has a superficial resemblance to moss. Pferygopappns lawrencii has a somewhat similar habit. Dnnatia nov(je~zeIandi(E, among the Stylidece, and DracophyUuvi minimum amongst the Fpacrideoe, have also the same peculiar appearance. An order of exceptional interest in Tasmanian botany is the EpacridecB. Of the 290 Australian forms. West Australia claims about 145 as en- demic; of the remainder, 60 appear in Tasmania, of which 30 are recorded as endemic. The genus Epacris, with nomi- nally 11 species, is ill-defined, and requires revision. The beautiful climbing Epacris, Prionotes cerinthokles, with it^ long crimson bells, is of more than passing interest in that its partially-bilocular anthers connect this order with the more northern Ericacece. The genus Richea, with simple leaves with linear venation and broad sheathing bases, is, except one species, R. gunnii, found sparely in the highlands in Victoria, exclusively Tasmanian. It, with the allied genera, Dracophyllum, Andersonia, and Sprengelia, form a decidedly primitive type of foliage for so highly-organised BOTANY. 87 shrubs. E. fandanifoUa and D. milligani, when well de- veloped, grow erect and unbranched, with a head of long sword-like leave-s, often many feet in length, recalling the aspect of a cordyline or a palm rather than a dicotyledon. The Rham,necd, Rutacece, and Eubiacece are all fairly repre- sented, and with a large proportion of endemic types. Cap^ rifoliacece, on the other hand, is represented by but one common Australian species, Samhucus gaudichaudiana. Rosacece again, as in Australia, is but poorly represented; still, we have two interesting endemics, a Geum, G. reni- foliiim, with reniform leaves and large strawberry-like flowers. Unfortunately, it occurs only towards the summit of Adamson's Peak and La Perouse. It appears, however, not very difficult to acclimatise to a low altitude. The other is a Raspberry, Rub us gunnianus. It is small, with a creeping habit, and bears, when well developed, a scarlet fruit nearly an inch in diameter, consisting of drupels each nearly J-in. The flavour is poor, and though most common towards mountain-tops, it seems to resist all efforts of culti- vation. The large order, Stylideoe, though almost confined to Australia, is hardly to be found in Tasmania. Only one species, S. gra7ninifolium, the familiar trigger-plant, with its irritable column and tall raceuse of crimson-rose flowers, is ordinarily met with. The Gwpidifercd, which supply the broad-leaved trees to the forests of the Northern Hemi- sphere, are here replaced by the Myrtaccce. But, in Tasr- mania, we still have two Fagus of this order. F. cunning- hcmii, a noble tree, with wood of an excellent quality, is abundant in rich forest land throughout the Island, and F. gunnu, a small Alpine tree, that occurs only at a high elevation in the West and South- West. This latter has the singular distinction of being the only deciduous in- digenous species in Australia. In Hydrochandacece, Vdl- lisneria spiralis, as here found, is more robust than the European type, and the peduncles create annoyance by re- fusing toi retract in the orthodox coil. Elodea canadensis has also come here from Europe, America, or somewhere. As in England, so here, only the ladies of the species have arrived, but this seems to be not at all disconcerting, and its propagation in watercourses is often more generous than entertaining. The orchids are fairly numerous; about 70 kinds, mostly of the Australian genera, Pterostylis, Gala- denia, Thelymitra, Diuris, and Frasophylluni. Probably none are endemic ; only one, Sarcochilus parviflorus, epiphy- tic. Two, Gastrodia sesamoides and Dipodium punctatwin, are, doubtless, parasitic on roots of higher plants, but the connection has never been traced. Amongst the Iridacece.^ 88 BOTANY. Hewardia tasmamca is of unusual interest, in so far that the pistil is only partially inwnersed in the floral tube; this featiire is responsible for this plant usually being placed amongst the lilies. The flower is rather nice, deep choco- late, purple, or pale yellow, and about 2 inches across, but it does not care to depart from its native habitat, the high- lands of the West and South- West. Among the Burinanniacece there is one interesting little beast, a Thismia, that is sparely found in gullies of Southern Tasmania. It has no immediate relative nearer than Borneo or Java. Its presence is a decided puzzle. Such an ephemeral saphrophyte could hardly have been trans- mitted over long distances by bird-assistance, besides its im- mediate relatives are not only far off, but not identical. The lilies do not call for special attention in such a restricted space. The pond-weeds, duck weeds, and other fresh-water plants, as might be expected, are, as elsewhere, of the com- monly-distributed types of the Old World, but the EestiacecB and Centrolepidecd, so common in Tasmania, belong to a type of plants decidedly Southern Hemispheric, and pro- bably the remains of a former type. The perianth is still there, but primitive and uncertain ; the leaves are reduced and sheath-like, and the whole type gives one the idea of an early effort thrust aside by the more robust development of the sedges. The sedges, or Cyperacece, an order of keen interest, must be passed for want of space, except to allude to the paucity of species of Cyperus, two only occurring here, C. hicidus and gunnii. Finihristylis is entirely absent, but Lefido- sperwa makes its presence recognised by some nine or ten species. Of the grasses, Tasmania is very poorly off for indigeneous species, 45 forms, and of these, only 2, Microlcena tasmanica and Deyeu.Tin gunn'iana, are endemic; but we make up for it, on the other hand, by the numbers of aliens, chiefly European, that are steadily dispersing themselves far and wide. Anthoxanthum odoratum and Holcus lanatus, above all others, are making themselves very much at home. It is surprising that, with so easily-transmitted species as grasses, only six forms, Imperata arundinacea, Aira ccespi- fosa, Trisitum subspicatum., Glycerin fluitans, Festuca dur- iuscula, and Phragmites communis, should be comnion alike to Europe and Tasmania. The conifers of Tasmania are of great interest to the botanist. We have no true pines or firs. We have one genus, Arthrotaxls, belonging to the Taxodivm. section of Pimoidece,; it contains three species, all BOTANY. 89 coniined to Tasmania. Unfortunately, it lives only at a considerable elevation, and objects to cultivation. Cal- litris, of which we have two species, C. rhomhoidea, distri- buted also to South and East temperate Australia, and C. oblofiga, confined to Northern Tasmania, together with the curious little shrub, with minute crowded 4-rowed leaves, Fitzroya archeri, belong to the Cypress section. The re- mainder are all yews. Dacrydium franklmii, a noble tree of the West and South-West, that yields the valuable Huon pine, has minute overlapping leaves, and as minute few- flowered cones. It is an excessively slow grower, and in- habits only low-lying swamps ; wherefore, its age of useful- ness ia limited. Phyllocladus rhomhoidalis, the only Tas- manian representative of the New Zealand genus, is a useful timber-tree, but is seldom found of much size. The leajf- like Cladodia are somewhat the shape of the leaf segments of Apium graveolens, whence the tree is locally known as celery-topped pine. Podocarpus alpina is small and pro- cumbent, with yew-shaped leaves and red fleshy peduncles to the solitary seeds ; Microcachrys tetragona is procumbent, leaves minute four-rowed, and the cone many-seeded, the bracts crimson and fleshy, the cone having the appearance of a small crimson mulberry h in. long; Pherosphcera hook- er'iana is very similar to Dacrydiutn franklmii, only dwarf, and the cones have many scales of cartilaginous consistency. These three are Alpine and endemic. In ferns, though we cannot approach New Zealand, Tasmania is fairly well off. Wc have about 70 species; most of them are confined to New Zealand and Australia. None are endemic. Hy- polepis tenuifolia and Polypodium, punctatinii run abso- lutely into one another in our bush; also do Asplenium hulhiferum, la.iuui, hookerianum, and flaccidum, and some forms approximate very nearly A. obtusatum. Of tree- ferns, we have Dicksonia antarctica, Alsophila australis, and Cyathea cunninghami, and Todea barbata sometimes as- sumes that form. Pteris aquilina, Asplenium trichomanes, Gyinnogramme rutcefolia, G. leptophylla, Aspidium aculea- tum, Cystopteris fragiUs, Hymenophyllnrn tunbridgense, and H. wilsoni, occur also in Europe. Space will not permit even a cursory glance at the lower cryptogams; nor would such a glance be of any value, if it did. NOTE ON THE BIRDS OF TASMANIA. By Colonel W. V. Legge, F.L.S., &c. (President of the Australian Ornithological Union.) Compared with tropical countries, or other regions of similar area^ the Island of Tasmania cannot be said to be rich in bird life. There are two apparent causes for our limited avifauna. First, the comparative paucity of fruit-bearing flora and insect-life; secondly, our island being the terminal point of the Australian " region," and separated from it by a strait, does not conie in for its share of distribution of species, nor its proportion of northern raigi-ants, which do not wander further than the southern parts of the conti- nent. If, therefore, we confine ourselves to land-birds proper, and eliminate the numerous species of Petrel re- corded as inhabiting our seas, the Penguins, the Gulls, and Terns (Gavice), the geese and ducks (Anseres), the Plovers and snipe-like birds (Limicolce), and, finally, the Herons (Ardeuke), there remains but a small list, even if we include the Rails, Coots, Cormorants, and Grebes. To the casual ob- server, however, who may wander through the open, settled country in the South, Midlands, Western, and Coast dis- tricts (not including the West), our feathered friends would seem to be fairly numerous ; for it is in territory of this sort that the majority of our species are to be found. It suits the habits, and provides food, for the parakeets, the various honey-eatersi, small fly-catching birds (among which the showy chat-robins are conspicuous); tree-tits, Acanthiza, the diamond birds (Dicceidce), and various other small Passe- rine birds, frequenting open country in preference to forest. On the other hand, in the dense and lofty forests, birds are few and far between, except in small tracts of land border- ing creeks and rivers in the gullies, which are clothed with luxuriant scrub, and where insect life is more abundant. Again, if we penetrate the dense mountain forests of myrtle (Fagus cunninghami), in the West of the island, we find the almost impenetrable scrub and tangled undergrowth BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 91 absolutely unfavourable to bird life, and miles of this true and most formidable 'jungle" may be struggled through without a single species being met with. Very little, in- deed, is known as yet concerning the avifauna of the densely-clothed mountains of the western half of the country, * where the dark and humid forests which fill the gullies and cover the sides of the ranges are suited to the habits of such birds only as the scrub-wren {Sericornis humi- lis), migratory fly-catchers (Myiagra), one or two of the thick-heads [Pachycefhala), also the forest-loving honey - eater {Melithre'ptiis), and, finally, the black crowshrikes, or magpies, whose far-reaching notes always betray their pre- sence. In addition to these denizens of the trackless Western forests, we find the bold and lofty mountain-tops, which stand out of the wilderness in lonely grandeur, furnish- ing a home for certain raptorial species, such as the White and the Australian goshawks, the Black-cheeked Falcon, and the Hobby {Falco L unl at la^), while around the borders of the solitary tarns and lakes, which sparkle on their plateau sum- mits, the ubiquitous Pipit {Anthus australis) is usua]^y found, with, near at hand, one or two wandering hone^/- eaters, if the Alpine flora happens to be in flower. In " the Midlands, already referred to in connection with the Passerine birds above-mentioned, we have the strong- hold of the few species of plover found in Tasmania, accom- panied in summer by the migratory Golden Plover, w'hich visits us from Northern Asia; and, round the large lagoons and -salt-pans characteristic of the district, the Double- banded Dottrel, and some rare species of waders are occar sionally met with. Higher up on the open stock-runs, with alternating plains and scattered timber-tracts, the marsh Harrier {Circus assimiiis), the Brown Hawk (both also com- mon in the lowlands), and many of the commoner low- country species are usually seen; and here, too, that grand but predatory bird, the Wedge-tailed Eagle, the h\ete-noir of the pastoralist, is sure to be seen, either perched on some lofty tree or soaring at immense heights above the land- scape. In 1845, a carefully-compiled list of Tasmanian birds was submitted by the Rev. J. T. Ewing, at a meeting of the Royal Society, and published in its Proceedings for that year. Mr. Ewing was a keen observer of birds and their habits, and was a contemporary of Gould's while this great naturaUst was in Australia. His list was exclusively com- piled from Gould's work, supplemented by a few species ob- served by himself. A Tit found by Gould in Tasmania was named after Ewing (Acanthiza ewingi), hut it has since been 92 BIRDS OF TASMANIA. considered identical with the well-known " Brown-tail " (A. dienienensis). It is not. however, certain that this is connect, as further research may lead to the rediscovery of Ewings Tit. Subsequent to the publication of Swing's list others have been printed, and used for reference, but up till late years scarcely any additions were made to the 169 birds enumerated in the first-named. In 1886, a "' Systematic List " was drawn up by myself, the various orders, families, and sub-families into which our bii'ds are divided being classified on the same system as that adopted in my " Birds of Ceylon." This list has now been revised, and included in this '' Note." The now uni- versally-received nomenclature of the " British Museum Catalogue " has been used, and the vernacular names adopted in the Australasian Association List of 1898 given to our birds. It is to be hoped that, in future, naturalists and collectors will adhere to the names in question, which are the result of much thought and care on the part of the compilers. If we compare the number of the members of the various families and orders given in the list with those inhabiting the continent, we see at a glance how far the Australian avifauna is represented in our Island: — Birds of prey are fairly numerous, the proportion of species in Tasmania being 12 to 27 in Australia, not inclusive, however, of the owls, which are only 3 to 14; fly-catchers (Muscirajridce) number 8 species out of 67, which is a poor representation, one, the Fantail, being peculiar to the Island. Honey-eaters {M elifhagidce) are also indifferently represented, our quota being 10 out of 82. In the parrot " order," Tasmania has 12 species out of 59. Passing to shore birds (plovers, dqt- terels, curlews, &c.), we find 23 in Tasmania out of a total of 46 recorded for Australia, w^hich is a better representa- tion than that of any order but petrels, of which we have 27 species out of 38 as yet noted from Australasian seas, this being accounted for by the fact that these birds are wanderers over all the Southern Ocean. In some instances, for simplification, genera adopted in the British Museum Catalogue have not been made use of in the following List : — BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 9:^ SYSTEMATIC LIST OF TASMANIAN BIRDS. Subf'am. ACCIPITRIN^. Subfam. AQUILINiE. Subfam. Falconing. Order ACCIPITRES. Suborder Falcones. Family FALCONID^— (11 species). 'Circus (iouldi. Bonap. Allied Harrier (Swamp-hawk). Circus assimilis, Jaid S^ Selby. Jardines Harrier. -{ 4stur Novae Hollandiae, Gmeiin. White Goshawk. ' Astur approximans, Vigors 6f Australian Goshawk. j Hors^. L Accipitercirrhocephalus, Vieillot. Sparrow-hawk. iUroaetus audax, Latham. Wedge-tailed Eagle. Haliaetus leucogaster, Gmeiin. Grey-backed Sea Eagle Black-cheeked Fal- con, i X ciii^^j iuwL.iui- CIO, ^«.. .«,.... Australian Hobby. I Hieracidea Orientalis. Schlegel. Brown Hawk. I Cerchneis cenchroides, Vig. Sf Australian Kestrel. L Horsf. f Falco melanogenys. Gould. J Falco lunulatus. Latham. Suborder Pandiones. Pandion leucocephalus, Gould. Australian Osprey. Subtam. BUBONINiE, Suborder Strig'eS. Family BUBO NIDiE- (2 species). i Ninox boobook, Latham. Brown Hawk-owl. > Ninox maculata, Vig. Sf Horsf. Spotted Hawk-owl. Family STR1GID^-(1 species.) Strix castanops, Gould. Tasmanian Barn- owJ 9i BIRDS OF TASMANIA. Sublam. CUCULINJE. Subfan). Order PICARI^. Family CUCULID^— (6 species). f Cuoulus pullidiis, Lat'iam. Pallid Cuckoo. I Cuculus riabclliforniis, Latham. Fantailed Cuckoo. I Chalcococcyx plagosus, Lath. Bronze Cuckoo. -{ Chalcococcyx basalis, Uorsfield. Narrow-billed Bronze Cuckoo. Cuckoo. Chalcococcyx lucidus, Gmelin. Broad-billed Bronze ^ * Scythrops Novfe HoHandiae, Channel-bill Ph.enicophain.13. i Lath. Cuckoo. Family ALCEDINID^— (2 species). S Subf'am, Halcyonin^. Subfam. Alcedinin^. Subfam. STEATORNINiE. \ Halcyon sanctus, Vig. Sf Horsf. Sacred Kingfisher. \ Alcyone azurea, Latham. Blue Kingfisher. Family CYPSELID^— (1 species). Chsetura caudacuta, Lath. Spine-tailed Swift. Family CAPRIMULGID^— (2 species). ^ Podargus Strigoides, Latham. Frogmouth (More- \ pork). Subfam. ^ jJEgotheles Novae Hollandise, Little Night Jar. Caprimuigin^. \ Lath. Subfam. CORVINJi. Order PASSERES. Section A. Tnrusb-like Passeres. {10 pi'imaines^ 1st small.) Family CORVID^— (4 species). r Corvus coronoides, Via. Sf Horsf. Australian Raven. ) Corone Australis, Gould. White-eyed Crow. \ Strepera fuliginosa, Gould. vStrepera arguta, Gould. Black Magpie. Hill Magpie. Family DICRUBIDiE.— (1 species). Chibia bracteata, Gould. Drongo. Family CAMPOPHAGID^— (2 species). Graucalus parvirostris, Gould. Summer Bird. *Lalage tricolor, Swainson. White-shouldered Caterpiller-eater. * Accidental. BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 95 Family PRIONOFID^. (2 species). Collyriocincla rectirostris, Jard Whistling Shrike- Sf Selby. Thrush. <" Grallina picata, Strick. Magpie Lark. Subfam. Gymnorhivin^. ^ Family LANllD^— (5 species). t Gymnorhiiia hyperleuca, Gould Magpie. < Cracticus cinereus, Gould. Butcher-bird (Jack- ass), Subfam. Pachycephalin^ / Pachycephala olivacea, Vig 6f Olive Thickhead. ^ . Horsf. Pachycephala guttiiralis, Lath. White-throated Thick-head. Pachycephala glaucura, Gould. Grey-tailed Thick- head. ( Subfam. MUSCICAPIN^. Family— MUSCICAPID^— (8 species). Rhipidura Diemenensis, Sharpe. Fantail. Leaden Flycatcher. Satin Flycatcher. r Rhipidura Diemenensis, < Myiagra rubecula, Lath. t Myiagra nitida, Gould. '■Petrseca Leggii, Sharpe. Petrseca Phcenicea, Gould. Subfam. SaXICOLINjE. Scarlet- breasted Robin. Flame-brested Robin. \ Petraeca Rhodinogaster, Drapiez Pink-brested Robin. Petraeca wiit^i'd.Qiioy et Gaimard, Dusky Robin. Malurus Gouldi, Sharpe. Lonff-tailed Warbler Subfam. TURDIN^. Subfam. Sylviin^. Subfam. EPHTHlANURIN.l^:. } Sclby. (Blue W^ren) . Family TURDID.F:— (3 species). } Geocichla macrorhyncha, Gould. Ground Thrush. j Acrocephalus Austrahs. Gould. Reed W^arbler. ^ Ephthianura albifrons, Jard &j- White-fronted Chat* Subfam. Craterpodin.e. i Subfam. TiMALIINiE. Subfam. BRACHPYTERI^^ Family TIMELIID.^— (8 species). S Cinclosoma punctatum, Lath. The Ground Bird (Ground Dove). S Calamanthus ful nosus. Vig ^ Striated Field W^ren * Horsf. ^ Megalurus gramineus, Gould. Grass Bird. ) Stipiturus malachurus, Shaw. Emu Wren. 3 Accidental. 96 HIHDS OF TASMANIA. Subfam. ACANTHIZIN^ rSericornis hiunilis, Gould. Acaiithoriiis inaijim, (would. Subfam. Meliphagin^ Subtkm. Brown Scrub Wren. White-breastPcl Scrub Wren. ^ Acanthiza Dieinenensis, (hndd. Brown-rumped Tit (Brown Tail). Acantliiza chrysorrha'a, Q. 4' 6^. Yellow-ruinped I. ' Tit (Yellow Tail). Family M ELIPHAGID^— (10 species). f Acanthorhynchus tenuirostris, Spine Bill. Lath. Melithreptus validirostris,G'oaW Strong-billed Honey- eater. Melithreptus melauocephalus, Black-headed Guuld. Honey-eater. Glycypliila fulvit'rons, Lewin Tawny-crowned Honey-eater. ; Ptilotis Havigularis, Gould. Yellow-throated Honey-eater. Meliornis Novse Hollandiae, Lath. White-bearded Honey-eater. Meliornis Australasiana, Shaw. Crescent Honey- eater. Manorhina garrula, I-.ath. Garrulous Honey- eater (Miner). Acanthochsera inauris, Gould. Wattle-bird. Acanthochaera mellivora, Lath. Brush M^attle-bird. Section B. Swallots^-Jike Fasseres. (9 Primaries.) Family ZOSTEROPID.E— (1 species). Zosterops cserulescens, Lath. White-eye. Family DIO^ID^— (3 species). Pardalotus punctatus, Shaw and Diamond Bird. N odder. Pardalotus affinis, Gould. Yellow-tipped Dia- mond Bird. Pardalotus quadragintus, Gould. Forty- spotted Dia- mond Bird. Family' HIRUNDINID^— (2 species). S Hirundo neoxena, Gould. Australian Swallow. HiRUN DINING. i Petrochelidon nigricans, Vieill. Tree Martin Family FRINGILLID^. Subfam. Fringillin^. Zonaeginthus bellus, Lath. Fire-tailed Finch. Family MOTACILLIDiE— (1 species). Anthus Aui Cygnus atratus, Lath. Black Swan. f Anseranas semipalmata, Z«//i. Pied Goose. I Cereopsis Novse Hollandiae,Z«^h. Cape Barren Goose. J Chenonetta jubata, Lath. Maned Goose. ^ Dendrocycna Eytoni, Gould. Ey ton's Tree Duck. I Tadorna tadornoides, Jard. Sf Ruddy Sheldrake, l^ Selby. Subfam. ANATIN.Ii. f Stictonetta nevosa, Gould. \ Anas superciliosa, Gmelin. I Anas castanea, Eyton. Freckled Duck. Wild Duck Chestnut-breasted Duck ^ Spatula rhynchotis, Latli. Australian Shoveller. Malacorhynchus membranaceus, Membranaceus Sivains'. Duck. Erismatura Australis. Blue-billed Duck. BIEDS OF TASMANIA. 101 Subfani. FULIGULIN^. I Nyroca Australis, Gould. Subfam. I Bi^iura lobata, Shaio. Erismaturin^. S Order HERODIONES. Family ARDEID.E— (6 species). Notophoyx Paciiica, Lath. Notophoyx Novae Hollandse, Lath. Demiegretta sacra, Gnielin. Herodias Timoriensis, Lesson. Nycticorax Caledonicus, Lath. Botaurus poicilopteru.s, Wagler. White-eyed Duck. Musk Duck. Pacific Heron. VV^hite-tronted Heron. The Reef Heron. White Egret. Night Heron. Bittern. Order PYGOPODES. Family PODICIPIDiE— (3 species). Podiceps Cristatus, Gould. Tippet Grebe. Podiceps Nestor, Gould. Podiceps Novae HoUandiae. Hoary-headed Grebe. Little Grebe. Order IMPENNES. Family SPHENISCID^— (3 species). Catarractes chrysocome, Lath. Crested Penguin Eudyptula minor, Forster. Little Penguin. Eudyptula undina, Gould. Fairy Penguin. THE RECENT MOLLUSCA OF TASMANIA, By Mary Lodder. Tasmania may be considered fairly rich in recent mol- luscan species, as she possesses nearly 700 marine forms, with about 100 terrestrial and fresh-water kinds besides. Very many o* ^e species in all branches are extremely small, requiring much careful search in order to obtain them, and microscopical examination to reveal their char- acteristics, their beauties of form, sculpture, and colouring. But such work is well repaid by the results, whilst, doubt- less, there are still various species to be discovered in the less well-known parts of the island, for many of the recog- nised forms are very local in their habitats, and, in numerous cases, their minuteness renders them so difficult to find that even an experienced collector niay overlook them. On the other hand, some of the marine species afford a strong contrast by the great size to which they at- tain, the most remarkable being Valuta mamilla (Gray), which is a foot long when full grown, and broad in propor- tion ; but adult specimens are rarely found in good preserva- tion. The young examples are much prettier as regards colour and markings, having brown bands and dashes on a creamy-yellow ground externally, -while the interior is of a rich yellow, and highly enamelled ; the large mamillary nucleus (which was thought to be a deformity in the first specimen discovered) is always a striking characteristic, giving a curious appearance to the very young shells. This species is chiefly found on the North Coast, where V. fusi- formis (Swainson) and V. imdulata (Lamarck), with the rarer V. papillosa (Swainson) are also to be had. Megalatractus maximus (Tryon) is another fine shell, also somewhat scarce in perfect condition. The finest specimen I have seen was in the collection of the late Mr. C. E. Bed- dome, who dredged it in the Derwent; it measured 7 J inches in length, and 2| inches in breadth. Triton spen- gleri (Chemnitz) attains a length of 5 inches, its solid struc- ture and thick varices making it a weighty shell. Cyprcea umhilicata (Sowerby) is another remarkable shell found on THE RECENT MOLLUSCA OF TASMANIA. 108 the North Coast, but not very plentifully nowadays, its size and elongated form distinguishing it from any other recent Cyprcea found in Tasmania, whilst it resembles the fossil C. eximia (Sowerby), which occurs at Table Cape and else- where in this Island ; but C. umbilicata is much larger. The well-known '' Mutton-shells " — one would be hardly complimentary to the goddess in calling the large repre- sentatives of the Haliotidce " Venus' Ears," the name that some of the smaller species bear in Europe — may a'so oe numbered among the giant molluscs of our shores. Hali- otis albicans (Q. and G.), with H. naevosa (Martyn), pro- bably afforded many a good feed for the aborigines in days gone by. Some white folks profess a liking for this " marine mutton," but opinions differ as to the desirability of adding such an item to the usual bill of fare. Scallops, mussels, and " Warreners " are more favoured, while many other species would probably be found very good if one had but the courage to try them. Oysters, which, apparently, were plentiful in the days of the aborigines, are sadly scarce now. A former resident of Stanley, Circular Head, told me of an enormous number having once been washed up on the beaches in that neighbourhood, when he was a boy. Fasciolaria coronata (Lamarck), Siphonalia dilatata (Q. and G.), Ranella argus (Gmelin), Furpura textiliosa (La- marck), Conus anemone (Lamarck), Scutus anatinus (Dono- van), Murex triformis (Keeve), Nerita punctata (Q. and G.), Cassis achatina var. pyruin (Lamarck), G. semigranosa (Wood), Goluinhella seiniconvexa (Lamarck), Cyprcea an- gustata (Gmelin), Trivia australis (Gray), Marginella 7?ius- caria (Lamarck), Turritella tasmanica (Reeve), PhasianeUa cmstralis (Gmelin), P. ventricosa (Q. and G.), Turbo undu- lata (Martyn), Cantharkltis badius (Wood), Cantharidus fasciatus (Menke), Calliostoma meyeri (Menke), Clanculus unclatus (Lamarck), C. limbatus (Q. and G.), Patdla lim- bata (Philippi), Acmcea crucis (Tenison- Woods), A. alba (Ibid), Subemarginula rugosa (Q. and G.), Macroschisma weldii (Tenison- Woods), Mcgatebennus trapezinns (Sower- by), Mitra glabra (Swainson), and many other species of these, and other genera of Gasteropoda, are to be found more or less in profusion. Of Polyplacophora, Chitons, we have several species, the prettily-marked Ischnochiton crispus (Reeve) and Chiton peUisserpentis (Q. and G.) being abundant. The hand- somest representative of the order is the scarce CcJlochiton lobatus (Carpenter), with its smooth shell and broad mantle of dark reddish-brown contrasting well with the rich orange colour of ^he animal. U)4 THE KKCKNT MOLLUSCA OF TASMANIA. Of the naked, or shell-less, moUusca, there are a few that have been described, and many yet to be identified. All- portia expansa (Tenison-Woods) is a curious and interesting form that is rather plentiful among the rocky pools at low water. Of the Doris family, there are surely many, and of Onchidiiim at least one, species to be found in similar situations. Of the class Scaphuda, two species of Dentalmm and one of Gadidus are recorded, whilst no Pteropoda are as yet listed for Tasmania, I believe. Of Cephalopoda, we have some ten known species, the internal shells, or, more familiarly known, " Cuttle-bones," of the Sepice, being plenti- ful on the beaches ; while the shell of the curious little Spirula peronii (Lamarck) is not uncommon at times on the East Coast. The beautiful " Paper Nautilus," Argonauta nodosa (Solander), is occasionally found on the mainland of Tasmania, but is more plentiful on the islands in Bass Straits, where it is said to come in shoals about every five or seven years, though it is difficult to obtain the larger specimens, as the gulls break them so often in their eager- ness to devour the animal. The largest of the Pelecypoda is Pinna tasrnanica (Teni- son- Woods), which is found a foot long, and sometimes covered with barnacles (Serpulce) and fair-sized oysters. The young specimens are very pretty, of a pale greenish or horny tint, semi-transparent, with curiously raised fluted scales at the broader end. Venus lameUata is a beautiful shell Vv^ien its pink frills are perfect. Cochlodesnia angasi (Crosse and Fischer) is sometimes plentiful, and of a large size, on the sandy beaches, but the gulls are fond of these too. Anatina creccina (Valenciennes) is also to be found in the North ; Mactra rufescens (Lamarck) is often so abundant at Port Soreil that it becomes a weariness to the collector ; Venus gallinula (Lamarck), V. rohorata (Hanley), Tapes fahageUa (Deshayes), Gari zonalis (Lamarck), Tellina alhin- ella (Ibid), Bosinid ccerulea (Reeve), D. grata (Deshayes), Cytherea rutila (Sowerby), C. diemensis (Hanley), Crassa- tella kingieola (Lamarck), Cardiuni tenuicostatum (Ibid), Barhatia carpenteri (Dunker), Axincea striatularis (La^ marck), Mytilus ater (Frauenfeld), Modiula australis (Gray), VvlseUa ovata (Lamarck), with five species of Pecten, are among the most attractive of the bivalves usually to be found on the Tasmanian beaches. Trigonia margaritacea (Lamarck) is somewhat local, Bruni Island being a good place for it. The rare Choristodon ruhiginosum (Adams and Angas) occurs in the East and South. Several species of Myodora are also found, and Panopcea australis (Sowerby) THE RECP:NT MOLLtiSCA OF TASMANIA. 1()5 is at times found alive on the East Coast, while Sjiondyln.'^ tenellus (Reeve) occurs on the North Coast, but seldom as .* perfect shell. Of Brachiopoda, the best known is the so-called " Roman Lamp," Waldheimia flavescens (Lamarck), which is washed up amongst seaweed on the Northern beaches, and is also found alive in rock-pools in favourable situations, where the tiny Megerlina latnarckiana (Davidson) is also found cling- ing in numbers to the under-sides of the stones. Terehra- tella ruhicunda (Solander) has been introduced into the Derwent amongst oysters from New Zealand. Among the terrestrial, or pulmonate. Gasteropoda, Buli- mus dufresnii (Leach) is one of the most widely-distributed, varying greatly in size and texture, according to the locality. B. tasmafiicus (Pfeiffer) is our sole arboreal species, being found on wattles and iDOoby alias on the East Coast only. Helix launcestonensis (Reeve), from the Scottsdale district, is the finest representative of the genus in Tasmania ; H. stephensi (Cox) being another good one. The European H. aspersa (Muller) ami Zo?iite.^ cHlarius (MuUer) are plentiful in some of the gardens in Hobart and Launceston. There are two Vitrinas, of which V. verreaum (Pfeiffer) is the most widely distributed throughout the Island. One tiny species of Fupa, P. lincolnensis (Angas), found also in Aus- tralia, has been discovered, near Swansea, by Mr. R. M. Johnston. The small grey slug, Limax legrandi (Tate), is abundant in the North, and there are some very large spotted slugs, notably, Cystopelta petterdi (Tate), with various smaller kinds in different parts of the Island. Of fresh-water mollusca, there are several minute forms that are of interest, especially the curious little Gundlachia, of which two species are recorded for Tasmania ; the genus is only found in Trinidad and Cuba besides. There are some forms of A mnicola and Hydrohia, one of which, Fotamopyr- gus, is common with New Zealand only. Ancylus irvince (Petterd), from the Great Lake, is an unusually large form, while Physa ehurnea (Sowerby). from lagoons near Ross, is a fine shell. Unio legrandi (Petterd) and U . depressus (Lamarck) inhabit only the rivers that empty themselves eventually into the Tamar. Most of the land shells are peculiar to Tasmania, whilst many of the marine species are common to Australia, especi- ally the Southern and Eastern shores of the continent; and some have a world-wide distribution, whilst a few appear to be found now in a semi-fossil state only, such as Potamides ebeninum (Bruguiere), Ranella epitrema (Tenison- Woods), 106 THE KKCENT MOI.LUSCA OF TASMA.NMA. and Area traptzia (Deshayes). The rare Astele subcari- nata (Swainson) was first described from Tasmanian speci- mens, and on one occasion, at least, in recent years it has been washed up in abundance at Marion Bay. The beauti- ful Modiola arhorescens (Chemnitz) was thrown up plenti- fully on the Port Sorell beaches, North Coast, a few winters ago, not having been seen there before, though occasionally it had been dredged in D'Entrecasteaux Channel. The type specimens cam© from the West Indies; the species ex- tends to China also. lanthma communis (Lamarck) and /. exigua (Ibid), the violet floating sea-snails, are sometimes washed on to Tasmanian shores. 107 ADDITIONS TO TASMANIAN FLORA. By. L. Rodway. Before the year closes I am anxious to place on record a brief description of three interesting plants. Of these two are new species, the other doubtless introduced. Ranunculus setaceus. ns — A small glabrous, tufted perennial with numerous, fairly stout, long, fib»*ous roots. Leaves numerous setaceous, but slightly flattened, simple or with one pair of filiform simple lobes towards the apex, 1 — 3 in. long, apices sometimes tipped with glands, base rather broad sheathing. Flower solitary on a slender peduncle, always shorter than the leaves, sometimes very short. Flower rather small, yellow, sepals broadly ovate, erect, pointed, 1^ lines long. Petals scarcely exceeding the sepals, usually 5 — 6, very narrow, oblong, blunt, gland about the middle. Stamens very variable in number in proportion to robustness of habit. Achenes not numerous, somewhat flattened, smooth, style slightly curved ; ripe achenea more swollen with a sharply recurved style ; receptacle short, conical, beset with bristles. Not at all or sparsely stoloniferous. In mud and under water in and about pools on the Ironstone Range, alt. 3,000ft. The plant flowers freely under water, and does not when permanently submerged depart in any manner from the sub-aerial form. I have described this plant as a new species only after mature consideration. Its relationship to R. rivularis, Banks. et Sol., is undoubted, but if it is taken as an extreme variety of that species where are we to draw the line? This plant is very close to R. millatii, F. V. M. and R. rohertsoni, B., and if these are included with R. rivularis we shall also have to take in many New Zealand and S. American plants. Even with this extensive clubbing the species would be still ill- defined, and the mass of varieties would be unworkable. Pseudanthus tasmanicus. ns — A prostrate, wiry, much- branched spreading undershrub, 1 — 2 ft. long. Dioecious. Young parts tuberculato-hispid. Leaves alternate, broadly orate to orbicular, sometimes with a small blunt point, other times slightly emarginate, 1 — 2 lines long on a slender petiole of similar length. Stipules scarious, sheathing blunt, often abruptly truncate | — 1 line long. Male flowers solitary in the upper axils, pale green. Perianth lobes equal or nearly 108 ADDITIONS TO TASMANIAN FLORA. 80, ovate, blunt, 1 line long ; pedical slender, 1 line long. Stamens 8, filaments slender, f line long, anthers pink, broadly ovate small. Pistil rudimentary, but well developed. Female flower similar to the males, but the perianth lobes slightly longer and red at the base. Stamiuodes small, 8. Pistil flask- shaped, longer than broad obscurely, 3-lobed, tapering iuto a short style ; stigma capitate, tuberculate irregularly 3-lobed. Ovule solitary aud occupying the entire ovarian cavity at time of flowering. Fruit not seen. Among and about basalt rocks on the shores of Lake Lucy Long on the Ironstone Kange and on .the banks of the South Esk, near Avoca. Rumex dumosus, A. Cunn. — Basal leaves few, soon withered, oblong narrow pointed, constricted as in B. 'pulcher, petiole •as long as leaf. Stem leaves sessile, small slender subtend- ing branches and flower clusters. Stem erect, very branched and spreading. Flowers very few together in distani; clusters, often solitary, pedicels slender 1 — 2 lines long. Inner perianth segments becoming rigid, acute, and reticulated bordered with few, usually 2, prominent spines, not developing a tubercle. Occasionally found on the roadsides in many parts of Tasmania, and probably introduced from the mainland, where it occurs in south-eastern districts. It is confined to Aus- tralia, unless it is, as Von Mueller considered, a form of R. flexuous, Sol., of New Zealand. This dock may easily be taken for JR. pulcher or R. hrownli, from both of which it ■differs, however, in the much more branched habit, few flowers in the clusters, and fesv spines to the margins of the mature inner perianth lobes. 109 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE WORK AND WORKERS OF THE TASMANIAN SOCIETY AND THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TASMANLA., FROM THE YEAR 1840 TO THE CLOSE OF 1900. By Alex. Morton, Secretary Royal Society of Tasmania. When the Scientific History of Australasia shall come to be written, it will be seen how large a share Tasmania has taken in the world of Science, and how valuable have been her contributions to its knowledge. Very early in the history of the British Settlement in Tasmania, a systematic attempt was made to classify its Flora, with the special object of discovering what edible roots or fruits were to be obtained ; and this, though perhaps undertaken with a view rather to the utilitarian than the purely scientific results, was of ubc to the investigators who followed in the same line. The scattered work of individual observers was first focussed in a Society, founded by Sir John Franklin in 1841, which was called at first the Philosophical, and soon after- wards the Tasmanian Society. The meetings were held at Oovernment House, then the most central place in the city, and the roll of names on its list of members contained such names as Sturt, Leichhardt, Sir Thomas Mitchell, Captains Ross and Crozier, and many others well know^n to fame. In the first volume of proceedings I find the name of Dr. (now Sir) James Agnew, with Port Phillip as his address. Ever since then his name has been identified with the work of scientific societies in Hobart, and his liberality in connection with them is too well known for me to do more than allude to it here in passing. The four departments of Zoology, Botany, Geology, and Meteorology, were the first to receive the attention of the Society, while Geography, in the face of the new discoveries being maae daily, soon claimed a large share of attention. The first Journal, published in 1843, has compressed in its pages so much that has gone to the making of history, as to make one wonder if the times seemed as remarkable to those who lived in them, as they do to us now. John Gould, then in Sydney preparing for his great work on the " Birds of Australia," contributed a paper on the habits of the brush turkey, which had been studied, appa- rently to little effect, before he turned his attention to its ■classification. 110 ROYAL SOCIETY FROM THK YEAR 1840 TO 1900. An article by Dr. Hooker on the fossil wood found at Macquarie Plains reminds us tliut the eminent surgeon was even then preparing to fjive the world the results of his examination of the Flora of Tasmania. The catalogue of edible fruits and roots, compiled by Mr. James Backhouse, finds its place here, considerably added to by Mr. Ronald Grunn, whose work has left scarcely any- thing to be done in this direction. There are descriptions of the birds and some of the fish of Tasmania, an article or two on the advantages of irrigation in the colony, and a list of native words compiled from documents in the Colonial Secretary's office by that remarkable adventurer, Jorgen Jorgenson, the Convict King. A battle between the observers of the Ornithorhyncus as to whether that extraordinary specimen were to be classed as oviparous or viviparous was then at its height, and a careful paper in this jouru.il gives all the reasons for pre- ferring to believe it viviparous, but no dawn of belief that it might yet be found to have some of the characteristics of both seemed to have visited the mind of anyone. A legendary tale of the Australian Blacks, one of those collected by Mrs. Parker, shows that the Aborigines, untroubled by scientific considerations, had decided that it was a cross between the kangaroo rat and the duck, laying its eggs like the duck, and then caring for them like a kangaroo rat. Perhaps of even greater interest to us at the present time is the fact that the return of the ships Erebus and Terror from their expedition to the Antarctic regions is recorded in this volume, with a report of the work done by Captains Ross and Crozier and those associated witli them. Lieut. Kay, of the Terror, remained here in charge of the meteoiological station, and did a great deal of work in connection with the magnetic survey of Tasmania. Both subjects — that of Antarctic exploration and the magnetic survey of Tasmania — have been very much shelved subjects from that time until the last year or two. The late Mr. James Barnard was one of the earliest members of the Society, and though, perhaps not a specialist in any particular subject, was devoted to furthering the aims of all the workers, and continued his interest in this Society until its dissolution, and was a member of the Royal Society until his death. The Rev. T. J. Ewing early made a list of the birds of Tasmania, and was one of the most useful members. Dr. Richardson began the classification of the fishes in Tasmanian waters, which has since been carried on by other workers, and completed by Mr. E. M. Johnston. i BY ALEX. MORTON. Ill I'hat brilliant scholar and eminent divine, the Rev. Dr. Lillie, contributed an introductory paper to the first volume of the proceedings, and took a keen interest in the work of the various branches, into which the energies of members were directed. He was for a time Hon. Secretary of the Royal Society, and did much while in that position to further its highest aims. The famous geologist, Count Strzelecki, who walked a distance of 7,000 miles in investigating the geological con- ditions of Australia and Tasmania, gave some account of his journeyings to this Society, and described many little known parts of the island. The Count examined a natural mineral water found near Circular Head, and observes, among other things, that it is sufficiently nauseous to be of medicinal value ! Count Strzelecki, in 1845, published the fiist systematic sketch of the geology and general physical character of Australia and Tasmania. A series of very interesting articles, by Captain Cotton, on irrigation, and one on a newly discovered steam digging machine, remind us that then, as now, there were not wanting those who saw the advantages that would accrue to Tasmania if a more enterprising spirit were manifested by the residents. It is difficult, in looking over volumes in which every word is of historic interest, to leave out any item, but that would need so much more time than I have at my disposal that I must be content to make a selection, not perhaps the best that could be made, but one that is possible to compress into the limit of time available. For a like reason, while there are many names of useful workers left out of this short chronicle, it is not to be supposed that they were not worthy to be all on the roll of honour, but the inexorable demands of time forbid. The second volume contains a fuller account of the Antarctic Expedition, and of the landing in two places, and taking possession in the name of Her Majesty the Queen, of the whole Antarctic Continent. It has not yet become a summer resort ! We are reminded that in the time of Sir John Franklin the " Beagle," with Darwin on Board, called at Hobart, and the great man had opportunities of observing the many interesting things in so new a country. One of the things that filled him with surprise was, that the steamer in which he went to Kangaroo Point had been entirely built in the colony. A paper contributed by Dr. Agnew, on the poison of snakes, marks not his first membership, but his first 112 ROYAL SOCIETY FROM THE YEAR 1840 Td 1900. active work for the society. His name appears in the first list of members, with residence : — Port Phillip. His first paper, was written from Saltwater River, Tasman PeDiiisula, where as medical :)ffieer to the government he had leisure to observe the poisonous apparatus of the venomous reptiles of that country retreat. Some very useful remarks on the nomenclature and classification of rocks in new couutries, by the English geologist, Mr. J. B. Jukes, set forth clearly the grouping on which geologists should found their method of classification. The Rev. T. J. Ewing, whose list of birds is contained in the first volume, is represented in the second bv a paper on the statistics of Tasmania, from which it may be of interest to make a few^ extracts. The three years under review are from 1838 to 1841. The revenue from the customs increased during the three yenrs from =£70,000 to dgSSjOOO, an increase of 21 per cent. The post office revenue rose from d£4,300 to ^6,500, or 25 per cent. The total revenue, including sales of Crown lands, rose from ^144,562 to ^£237,381. The average value for the three years of the imports was =£665, 535, for a population which, including convicts, only numbered 50,000 souls. The sheep in 1841 amounted to 1,167,737 ; the horses numbered 12,000; horned cattle, 90,000. There were 1287 marriages during the period. Th9lt,ev W. Colenso, an enthusiastic naturalist, contributed valuable notes of a trip in New Zealand, during which he collected more than 1000 specimens of natural history. The picturesque museum at Ancanthe, built by Lady Franklin, contained not only specimens of natural history, but a good library containing books classified as follows: — (a) Works illustrative of Tasmania and the neighbouring colonies; (h) Works written by persons who had been, or were then, residents of Tasmania; (c) Works written and published in Tasmania, provided they were of such a character as would not be objected to by the Trustees. The collection contained besides many other interesting books, some of the volumes of the splendid work Gould's Birds of Australia, Mr. W^estgarth in a paj^er on Port Phillix), then little known, describes its geological formation, but gives no hint of the alluvial richness that, in a few years, so transformed that country. In the summer of 1838 the Rev. W. Colenso, Avhose papers on New Zealand form a most interesting part of this second volume, was fascinated by the description given by the Maories of the gigantic bird they called th« Moa. They insisted that it lived in a cavern on the side of a mountain, that it subsisted on air, that it was guarded by two immense reptiles, and that if anyone ventured near it he would be BY ALEX. MORTON. 115 trampled on and killed by the monster. Mr. Colenso pro- cured some bones, and after careful examination he con- cluded that it was an extinct species. His paper is a piece of clear and almost convincing piece of reasoning, but was dis- agreed with by Professor Owen, who thought the bones, after examination, to be so recent that he expressed the hope that the animal might yet be seen striding ;\bout in the " Zoo.'^ The Wellington Valley in New South Wales was just then attracting considerable attention on account of the fossil bones of a giant extinct animal, a Mastonodontoid pachyderm, which Professor Owen describes in this volume. This dis- covery was especially of interest as suggesting a more humid climate than that now common to Australia, for these crea- tures were frequenters of marshes, swamps, and lakes. The Aborigines of Tasmania were studied by several mem- bers, and Archdeacon Davies wrote of their ways in a careful paper or two. This w^as, par excellence, the time for exploration. The vast new country, with untold wealth and unknown natural resources, attracted the attention of all those adventurous spirits who love to have the pleasure of treading where no foot of civilised man has before trodden. At this time Leichhardt was in the north exploring the country between Moreton Bay and Port Essington before that last journey of his, the plan of which was sketched with such sanguine anticipation of success, but from whicli no whisper has yet come to tell us whether it is well with him. Sir Thomas Mitchell Avas continuing his investigations in the region of the Darling and the Bogan, while Captain Sturt was battling with heat, drought, and scurvy, in heroic efforts to penetrate the secrets of the central part of the dark continent. The account of his work, given in this volume, is pathetic reading. One member whese name appears very often in the pro- ceedings, is Mr. Eonald C. Gunn, of Launceston, whose work for the Society was of a very extensive character. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society, London, an honour never since bestowed on a Tasmaniau. He was an indefatigable worker, and did much for the scientific development of his adopted country. He and Dr. Grant were the first to send to London live specimens of the Tasmanian Tiger, a notice of which appeared in the London Times of May, 1850. In the third volume of the Tasmanian Journal the name of the Eev. W. B. Clarke appears for the first time. This eminent geologist, the first in Australia to jjredict the finding of gold, wrote to this Journal on the subject of the fossils of the Silurian age in New South Wales. Incidentally he 114 KOYAL SOCIETY FROM THE YEAR 1840 TO 190C. mentions that his collection of N.S.W. fossils exceed 1,000. When we remember the difficulty of collection we can ajDpreciate the labour involved in gathering so many specimens. Two quotations from the minutes of the Society •will give a good idea of the thrilling interest of some of the meetings. March 24, J847. — Eead (inter alia) Sir T. Mitchell's account of his journey into the N.W. interior of New South "Wales. April 7, 1847. — Eead Captain Start's journal of his ex- ploration in the interior of New Holland from South Australia. The difference between these two narratives is widely marked, one, that of Sir Thomas Mitchell, being a cheerful story of pleasant wanderings over fine country, while that of Captain Sturt is a brave man's description of tragic battling with heat, want of water, and sickness. In one place the thermometer, graduated to 127, burst in the shade, while at the breath of the hot wind the leaves fell off the trees. The Society also published an account of Leichhardt's overland journey to Port Essington, and a sketch of the plan of the unfortunate traveller's last journey. For that expedition a sum exceeding =£1,500 was raised by public subscription, and supplemented by a grant of .£1,000 from the Government of N.S.W. Dr. Leichhardt started on this expedition with the warmest wishes of the Australian community. Tt makes one sorrowful, even now, to think that the heroic band stepped out of sight in the silence of the great lone land, and no seeking has ever been rewarded with even a fragment of knowledge of how they all met their deaths. That good friend of the Society, Sir Joseph Hooker, con- tributes some papers on the conifere of the island, and credits Mr. E. C. Gunn with the discovery of more than half of the conifere of the whole colony. A most exhaustive paper on the Microscopic life found at the ocean washing the South Pole, was given by Professor Ehrenberg, in Berlin, and then sent by him to the Tasmanian Society, a little incident show- ing that the Society was well and favourably known in the scientific centres of the world. A name which was long and honourably associated with the Society was that of Dr. Milligan, The third volume contains a paper by him on the fossils of the country between Hobart and Launceston. All his contributions were marked by much care to obtain scientific accuracy. In 1849 the Tasmanian Society lost its separate existence and became BY ALEX. MORTON. 115 merged in that which is represented here to-nio-ht. Exit, therefore, the Tasmaniau Society, having honourably fulfilled its mission- On the 14th Oct., 18i3, the Royal Society of Van Diemen's Lard foi Horticulture, Botany, and the Study of Science, was formed with the help of Sir Eardley-Wilhnot, Bart. Its first work was the holding of two Horticultural Shows, which were very successful, but a Horticultunil Society being after that formed by the professional gardeners of Hobarl, the shows were discontinued, and exhibits were instead sent to the shows of the new society. HerMajesty the Queen became the patron of the Society; the Government placed a large part of the garden in the Domain at the disposal of the members, and made a grant of £-iW a year, for the purpose of paying its officers and promoting its objects generally. At the end of 1845 the Secretary resigned, and Sir Eardlev Wilniot, then Lieut. -Governor, fought strenuously to raise the Society from a horticultural to a more scientific one, as being more in accord with the idea of a Royal Society, to which HerMajesty had given her patronage. He opposed the appointment of any secretary who should be a mere clerk, and said the Secretary of a Royal Society should not only be able to meet the members on terms of equality, but should be a man who could be on a par with men of science anywhere. As a suit- able man was not at the moment to be found, one of the vice-presidents, the Rev. Dr. Li Hie, undertook the duties gratuitously for a time, and eventually Dr. Milligau was appointed, whose devotion and a,ttainments made the Society what it has since remained— an honour to Tasmania and Australasia. For a time the principal interest centred round the Gardens, but in 184(5 it was decided to begin a collection of natural history specimens for a museum. A room in the Legislative Council Chambers held the beginnings of this museum, and in 1849 the Government granted a sum of .£100 towards its support, from which time the Museum was formally recognised, and its usefulness has grown apace, until the very popular institution of which I have the honour to be Curator holds a firm place in the affections of the people of Tasmania. The first Journal of the Proceedings of the Royal Society was published in 1851, and the statistics of the colony, dealt with by Mr. James Barnard, afford interest- ing data for comparison with those of to-day, especially those of education. The Church of England had 35 schools on the penny-a-day system, the Roman Catholics 4, and in these denominational schools 1812 children were educated. In the Government Board Schools 1,080 children were taught, and 11)4 in infant schools ; while 460 children attended the 116 ROYAL yOCIETY FROM THE YEAR 1840 TO 1000. Queeu's Orphan Schools, of whom 396 were the offspring of convicts, aud were taught at the expense of the British Government ; 64 wore the children of free parents, and were paid for by the Tasnianian Government. It was estimated that, including those taught in private schools, the number of children ut)der instruction amounted t-) 6,214, a number which may be considered as fairly satisfactory. There was then no daily newspaper published in Tasmania, but four were published in Hobart twice weekly, and two once a^ week. Three were published in Launceston. The total imports exceeded the exports by 1 7^ per cent. The introduction of salmon into Tasmanian waters afforded some discussion, and was introduced in a paper by Captain Stanley, in which the opinion of Mr. Young, the manager of the Duke of Sutherland Salmon Fisheries, is quoted, and his advice given. Mr. Young says : — " I hope that yoi; will get a suitable vessel, so that you can with safety carry the young salmon, but in case you should not succeed in getting it in every respect fitted for their safety, I would not advise you to proceed with it at all. Were you to make an ill- prepared job of it and not succeed, it would deter yourself and others from the attempt for a long time (for, assuredly, it will at some time be done successfullv)." Mr. P. S. Seager has, with much trouble, written a history of the salmon experiments in Tasmania, which has been read before this Society, and will, perhaps, be familiar to most of you ; but it ought to be mentioned, in passing, that the last and very successful shipment in the year 1888 was brought out at the sole expense of Sir James Agnew, by Sir Thomas Brady,, then Inspector of Fisheries in Ireland. That perennial subject, the weather, of course came up for discussion, and some valuable statistics were forthcoming on this interesting topic. There were 14 days in 1847 on which a hot wind blew, and on two days especially the air was like a heated furnace. The thermometer registered lOSdeg, in the shade, and later lOOdeg. The next year was remarkable for intense cold in the months of November and December. At this time coal was being discovered in every direction — at Schouten Island, Port Arthur, Mersey and Don Rivers,, and many other places; and Dr. Milligan was requested by the Government to report on them. This first volume has some of these reports, and specimens were sent to the Museum of Practical Geology, London, for analysis by Sir H. De La Beche. Though he did not think so highly of them as Dr. Milligan did, yet the discovery of coal in so many parts of Tasmania was a matter of the highest import- ance to the future of the colony. Even then, with four BY ALEX. MORTON. 117 steam vessels on the Eivers Derwent and Tamar, it was a great considei'ation to obtain coal at a cheaper rate than it could be imported from Newcastle, England. The Bridgewater Causeway and Bridge were the subject of an article by the Director of Public Works, Mr. W. P. Kay. The work of making the Causeway occupied nine years, at an average expenditure of =£4,500 per annum, and the cost of the bridge was ^£7,580. The solid contents of the causeway filled into the river was computed at 560,000 cubic yards, and must have cost about Is. 5^d. per cubic yard. The cost of convict labour does not seem to have been less than that of free, if the money spent on the Causeway may be taken as a criterion. We, in these more prosaic times, when the more important discoveries in botany and natural history have all been made, can hardly realise the jjreat interest of those early meetings, when so much was new and sometimes with no parallel in the old. Various kinds of manna w^ere found on many of the trees in the new world, and one was discovered by Mr. Robert Kay which differed from all known kinds, and was considered to be an exudation from the mallee (Eucalyptus Dumosa). The aborigines in the North-west of Australia, where this manna was found, believed that Bhami, their hero-god, who had been taken by the spirits to the land of fadeless flowers, had sent this manna as a substitute for the honey that, owing to the drought and the absence of flowers, had for some seasons failed them. Sir William Denison, whose practical engineering skill was of the greatest use to the colonists during his governorship, contributed among many others, an interesting paper on the construction of dams, with a view to irrigation. It is a little remarkable, when we remember how often the necessity of irrigation was pressed on the attention of the people in those early days, that no more impression was apparently made on the minds of those to whom such a system would have meant riches. We have abundant proof that Tasmania was not, on the whole, unprogressive at this time, but the people were slow to realise that science in agriculture is of the first im- portance. The remarks of Dr. Agnew on the snakes of Tasmania, mentioned in connection with the Tasmanian Society, had stirred the observing power of several others, and a number of experiments were made on the relative virulence of various species of snakes, the results of which were communicated to the Royal Society by Major Cotton. On 18th September, 1848, Dr. Nixon, Bishop of Tasmania, was elected a Fellow, and the first contribution I notice from 118 ROYAL SOCIETY FROM THE YEAR 1840 TO 1900. Liin is oue ou the productiveuess of Mummy wheat. From one ear received from Lady Fraukliu more than 7,000 ears had been taken the next season. Obsidian buttons have lately been the cause of some speculation at the meetings of the Society ; and it will interest some to know that as early as December, 1851, a. specimen of this curious substance was exhibited by Dr. Officer. The report says : — " Dr. Officer showed an obsidian looking substance, having much the form of a common bung of a cask, or cork of a wide-mouthed bottle, flattened and rounded on the top and bottom (wl'ere it betrays the action of weather), and having a number of well-defined impressions round the sides, as if so compressed or pinched in while semi-fluid. This remarkable substance is said to be found on the natural surface of the pasture lands of Victoria; inquiries have been set on foot by Dr. Officer to trace, if possible, its origin." An announcement is made at the annual meeting in January, 1853, of the removal of the Museum and Library, as well as the meetings of the members, from the rooms forming part of the Legislative Council Chambers to a hall in Harrington-street (now the Athenaeum Club). This was an exi^eusive undertaking, as formerly the rooms had been obtained rent free, while the rent of the new building was .£60 per annum, with rates and taxes. The inconvenience, however, only had the effect of stimulating the members to renewed exertions in the direction of obtaining a permanent home for the increasing collection. The report of the Council says : — " Th« Council consider that the first step should be to apply to the Crown for a grant of a suitable piece of ground as a site, upon which, as a basis, then to proceed to raise by public subscription or otherwise a sum of money adequate to the speedy execution of so much of the plan of an extended edifice as the immediate and not very remote exigencies of the case may demand." A site was granted by the Government for the erection of a Museum, about c£2,000 were raised by subscription, and the first part of a fine building erected, which contained three rooms, of which only two were then used, one for a library, another for the Museum collection. There was no lack of public sj^irit in those days: The facilities of communication were increasing in both Hobart and Launceston. Many ships were put on the berth to load produce for California. There were several steamers employed on the Derwent and Tamar, one of them the redoubtable Kangaroo, and a steam service between Hobart and Launceston was being seriously discussed. There were 14 stage coaches running on the main and branch roads of the colony, eight of which started from Hobart, five from BY ALEX. MORTON. 119 Launcestou. Sir William Denison, whose interest in tie society was very great, was responsible for many papers on agricultural subjects, and had some experimental plots prepared in the paddock iu front of the present Government House to determine the best way to sow potatoes for large crops. He als3 had some observations ou the best way to grow turnips, which seemed to be full of practical common sense. When one remembers that from 1849 to 1854 the period of unrest and excitement in consequence of the discovery of gold were at their height, one can the better appreciate the devotion shown by those who remained at their ordinary avocations, and gave so much in time and money to further the cause of .science and education iu the land of their adoption. It was, however, impossible that the Royal Society should not feel some reflex of the tide of excitement which was turning the heads of so many in the community. Yet their work seems neither to have oeeu left undone, or done badly, in the stress of the times. Every subject that was at all likely to educate the people, either in agriculture or engineer- ing, in social science, or in manufactures, was taken up in a spirit of readiness and helpfulness, that must have been of the greatest use in a new community, and that marked it as an educative force in all directions. Natural History was, of course, not neglected. The discoveries of giant extinct marsupials, whether in New South Wales or elsewhere, were reported to the Journals of the Society, and aroused much intelligent interest. Reverting for a moment to the gold discovery, I am reminded that gold was discovered in California in 1847, but in 1846 Sir R. Murchison, who two years before that stated that no gold had been discovered in Australia, though he expected it would eventually he found there, received from New South Wales a small parcel con- taining gold iu quartz, as a proof that his expectation had been realised. Some Cornish miners were advised by him to go and seek for gold in the alluvial of New Soui-h Wales, and in 1848 he interviewed Earl Grey, then Minister for the Colonies, informing him of the strong ground he had for believing in the existence of large bodies of gold ore, in quartz, at that remote spot; but Earl Grey took no steps in the matter, as he thought that the discovery of gold would be very embarassing to the interests of a wool country. He had yet to learn how adaptable a wool country may be to other forms of industry. A medical paper was contributed by Dr. Bedford on the treatment of Scarlet Fever, which attained the dimensions of an epidemic during the years 1852-3. His recommendation 120 ROYAL SOCIETY FBOM THE YEAR 1840 TO 1900. of Belladonna, as a preventive and cure, is interesting, but I do not know whether subsequent experiments in its use modified the opinion of its efficacy. The important subject of drainage, which can never be properly dissociated from water supply, was discussed in a paper by Sir William Denison. One of the conclusions at present of interest, was that for a really efficient system of drainage the supply of water must be very much increased, preferably by tapping the grand supply of the upper Derwent. The losses and gains to Tasmania in consequence of the gold rash were noted by Mr. James Barnard in a paper on the statistics, published in the proceedings for 1852. The population loss is set down at over 8000. During the period 1851-3 inclusive, the average value of the imports, [3er head of the population was .£18 19s. 9d., and of the exports, £19 15s. 4d. The balance of trade, upon the calculation of the same period of three years, was =£156,505 in favour of the colony ; clearly denoting under the feverish and exciting conditions of the times, the healthy state of the commerce of the little island. The quantity of gold exported in the same period amounted to the large total of 212,000oz., but most of this was first brought over from Tasmania by the lucky diggers. It was valued at £714,870. Wages rose to an enormous amount, in consequence of the scarcity of labour, painters and plumbers getting up to 16s. per day. Mr. Barnard says: *' The houses uninhabited two months before the gold discoveries were 599, or five per cent of those built ; the first effect of these discoveries was to create the belief that there would be a general desertion of houses by people of every grade rushing off to the diggings. House property at the onset was greatly depreciated, and sold — and that with difficulty — at a nominal price. In a short time, however, there came an unlooked for reaction. The streets of Hobart and Launceston by the end of the year began to swarm with lucky diggers and numerous visitors, the former bent upon enjoying the fruits of their success with their friends, the latter to take up their abode more or less per- manently, attracted by our superior climate, and our more quiet, better protected towns. The demand for dwellings at once exceeded the supply, and soon there was not a house to be had without a scramble, rents rising 300 or 400 per cent." At a meeting held on the 9th April, 1854, the first report of the Victorian Government Botanist, Dr. Mueller, was laid on the table. In this quiet way a name was introduced into BY ALEX. MORTON. 121 the auuals of Tasmauiau science which for many years was honoured in all the colonies as that of a man with a rare devotion to duty, a great amount of knowledge, which was always at the service of even the humblest votary of his beloved science, and a modesty and simplicity of life suffi- ciently uncommon as to be remarkable. All the scientific societies in Australasia ow-:; much to his faithful work. The volume for 1853 contains the first of a large number of papers by Dr. Milligan on the Aborigines of Tasmania, their number, their traditions, and their language. Dr. Erich sen contributes a paper on the insect fauna of Tasmania, which has particular reference to the geographical distribution of insects. Mr. Morton AUport was one of the untiring workers whom the Society had the good fortune to number among its members. In all, he wrote 24 papers on various subjects, and was one of the most enthusiastic among those who believed that the introduction of the Salmouide into Tas- manian waters could be accomplished, and that it would be a great advantage to the colony when that had been done. His death, at the comparatively ea,rly age of 46, deprived Tasmania of a good citizen, and the Royal Society of oue of its most faithful and persevering friends. Various contributions to our knowledge of Tasniaiiian Botany appear under the name of Dr. Mueller, The coal seams were at this time beginning to be worked with great zeal, but unfortunately with little knowledge, and the result was in many cases disappointing. The history of a new country always contains the record of many mistakes, and they are not only in the region of science and manufacture. Among papers of interest further afield may be mentioned one on the census in the United States, which is full of facts collated in a charming manner, and one by Dr. Carpenter, read at the Royal Society of G-reat Britain, on the infiuence of suggestion in modifying and directing movements inde- pendently of the will. The vast subject of hypnotic suggestion, was even then, receiving the attention of medical students, and as a science does not seem to have advanced much since that time. The new and fascinating method of taking sun pictures was the cause of a thoughtful paper on the subject, in which the process was explained with a clearness that must have started many an experimenter in the island on the path of the amateur photographer. The vexed question whitiier the Desmidiacie were really belonging to the animal or vegetable kingdom, is disc issed 122 ROYAL SOCIETY FROM THE YEAR 1840 TO 1900. with much clearness by Mr. Harrap, at a later date, and the arij^uments on which he differed from Professor Ehrenberg aud others logically stated. These questious of the exact position of the wonderful links between the kinf^^doms is at all times one of absorbing interest, and then, as now, opinion was rlivided about some of them. The number of these beautiful alge found in Tasmania then amounted to 38. Dr. Downing gave some account of Norfolk Island, whicli was written in a chatty style, and contained a good deal of information about the climate, natural productions, and geological characteristics. Three recent discoveries, each important, mark off the year 1865 as noticeable, and they are all referred to by Dr. Hall in an address to the physical section of the Society. One was the separation of the illuminating from the heat-giving rays of the sun, discovered by Professor Tyndall, and which was the beginning of many discoveries in refraction that cannot be mentioned for want of time. The second was full of pro- mise that has not, so far, been realised, except to a limited extent. It was the discovery of magnesium wire and its high illuminating ]>ower. It is useful, doubtless, but it has not superseded gas or electricity, as was at one time fondly hoped. The third was Baron Liebig's discovery of a substi- tute for mother's milk, and did much to reduce the mortality of infants during the first year of life, but if mothers more fully understood the importance of the subject it would be more usf-d than it is at pres^ent. Even now the infant mortalitv is far too high for the enlightenment of the age. I mention these to show how alert the members were then, as now, to notice what was going on in the world outside Tas- mania, and to utilise that knowledge for the benefit of their fellow-citizens. In May, 1865, the attention of the Society was directed to the necessity of some method of establishing a time signal which should give the time regularly so as to oe available for the whole of Tasmania. The first duty of fixing a time signal was soon after undertaken by Colonel Chesney, who arranged for three guns to be fired at 4 p.m. on the first Thursday in every month, or, if that day proved wet, they were fired on the first fine day following. In 1867 the Museum, three rooms of which had been built, contained a sufiicient collection to justify bringing into use the upper room, and various kind friends gave much time to the arrangement of the specimens in the best way then considered possible. One cannot speak of their labour with other than gratitude, even though the classification had been of the primitive order. The practical aspect of every new discovery commended it or the reverse, to the notice of many of the Fellows, and the BY A.LEX. MORTON. 123 possibility of a manufacture of paper from the Esparto grass, which, it was believed, would grow well in Tasmania, drew a discussion on the subject, and Mr. James Barnard took great pains to set before the Society all the available information on the subject, including plans and cost of machinery. Political economy came under discussion for the first time in 1872, when Mr. E. C. Nowell read a paper on the subject with special reference to the unemployed. For the first time the colony was experiencing the fact that there is such a thing as a labour problem, and it has not left us since. Occasionally papers were read on the beetroot industry, and all the scientific and practical information necessary to start a beet factory are to be found in the records of the society; but the production of sugar from beetroot is not yet one of our established industries. The name of the Rev. J. E. Tenison Woods appears for the first time in the reports as a contributor inl874, but the reverend geologist had then been a corresponding member for m;iny years. His great services to the people of Australia generally and his devotion to science made him a contributor whose papefs were valued, and whose personality was honoured in all the scientific societies on this sid*^ of the equator, white his name and that of the Rev. W. B. Clarke were familiar as household words in all j)arts of the world. In 1872 the Council acquired a large wooden building, which was I think used as a store, and all the specimens, for which there was no room in the Museum, were placed there From this time onward the proceedings of the Society are familiar to many of the present members of the Society that a recapitulation of them would be unnecessary. The obligations under which the Society lies to Mr. T. Stephens, Mr. R. M. Johnston, and the many memVieis now here who were good friends of science since 1875 are known to all present, and their recapitulation would only seem fulsome, but an exception to this rule may 1)3 jiermitted ia the case of the Hon. Sir James Agnew, whose connection with the Society dates from 1840, and who was the able and liberal hon. sec. of the Society from about 1861, almost to the pre- sent time, with the exception of a visit to England, when Mr. James Barnard well filled the gap until his return. From Sir Eardley Wilmot, who was a most interested President of the Society, to the present, tlie Royal Society has been fortunate in having as Governors of Tasmania, so many who were keenly alive to the advantages ot a scientific society as. an instrument for the elevation of the people. It has been well said that many tastes and one hobby make the condition of greatest happiness. To all who will, the Royal Society offers that choice of tastes and hobbies which will be of the 124 ROYAL «OCIETY FROM THE YEAR 1840 TO 1900. most use to the possessor, and the most beneficial to his fellow creatures. A list of the subjects dealt with during the period of the Society's existence, shows how vari( d was the field of its activities, aud how eminently practical was much of its work. In June, 1874, the first contribution from Lieutenant Legge was recorded in the form of a paper on the birds of Tasmania, and accompanied by '20 prepared type specimens as the beginning of a type col'ection of birds. Col. Legge's interest in the Society has been constant since that time, and though, during his residence in Ceylon, he gave up his spare time to the description of the birds of that tropical country, he began on his return here to take the same place in the Society as before he left, and is now one of its best friends. The contributions of Mr. R. M. Johnston began in 1873, and have been continued ever since. Geology, paleontology, ichthyology, and economic science have all been treated in his thorough and masterly manner, and he is a worker to whom we are all very much indebted. In 1880 Mr. Johnston came to take up his residence in Hobart, and from that time the period of most active exertions in behalf of the Society comme jced. The Government published Mr. R. M. John- ston's book on the Geology of Tasmania, a work which was the fruit of years of patient observation and careful study, and is an invaluable text book. His hand book of Tasmanian Botany has also been of the greatest use to students. To convey some idea of the work done to the Society by Mr. K. M. Johnston, I give a list of the subjects contributed by that gentleman :— Pisces, 14 ; Conchology, 9; Botany, 4 ; Geology, Paloeontology and Mineralogy, 45 ; Economic Science, 12. A total of 84 papers. Of earlier date still, are the contributions of Mr. T. Stephens, M.A., Avhose papers on geological subjects have been continued from time to time for more than forty years, and whose interest in the work of the Society is unabated. Dr. Swarbreck Hall and Mr. Francis Abbott are also two contributors, whose statistical and other papers were very numerous and instructive. For some years Dr. Hall con- tributed papers on the relation of the climatic condition to the health statistics of the colony, and Mr. F. Abbott's Meteorological papers were looked forward to with great interest month by month. Mr. F. Abbott, jun., the present superintendent of the gardens, followed in his father's foot- steps, and though of late the pressure of other duties have prevented much work of a special nature for the Society, his membership has continued unbroken. For many years after its establishment, the Royal Society did nothing towards advancing the historic knowledge of BY ALEX. MORTON. 125 Tasmania, but Mr. J. R. McClymont, M.A., and Mr. J. B. Walker, F.R.G.S.,took up the subject in the eighties, and while Mr. McClymont wrote on the geographical part of the subject, Mr. Walker took up the history of settlement and of discovery with much patience and ability. His delightful English, his proved accuracy, his untiring care in collecting facts in connection with the early history of his native country, and his enthusiasm for the good of the Society, made his death last year a calamity to the Society, almost everv member of which was his personal friend. The historical section owes its existence principally to His Lordship the Bishop of Tasmania and to Mr. Walker, both of whom worked with great zeal in its establishment. The various papers •contributed by Mr. J. B. Walker are of so much value that the Government have granted a sum of c£100 to have them jgathered and printed in one volume. There are many new workers, who, duriog the last few years, have devoted themselves to special branches of science, and kept up interest in the meetings by timely contributions, among whom, without disparagement to other workers, may be mentioned Mr, L. Rod way, whose botanical notes and contributions to the Flora of Tasmania have been invaluable. Mr. Rodway's forthcoming work on the Botany of Tasmania is to be published by the Government, and is arranged on a most comprehensive and useful plan, whose completeness leaves nothing to be desired. The splendid work of Mr. Petterd, who was joined after- wards by Mr. Twelvetrees in descriptions, merits more notice than can be given to it here, for their study of mineralogy has resulted in the discovery of new and rare minerals, and they have much increased the general knowledge of the subject. Mr. Petterd has also published a monograph of the Land shells of Tasmania, a most complete work, and has also written and described many new shells, in addition to his great service in the discovery and description of minerals. The mosses were carefully worked by Mr. A. R. Bastow when he lived in Hobart, and that interesting^ studv has since been taken up by Mr. W. A. Weymouth. In conchology, Miss Lodder has done good service to the Society, and has classified the specimens of Tasmanian shells in the Museum, replacing from her own collection those which were in bad order. The work of Mr. Spreut, whose explorations in the island were carried out with utter disregard for personal comfort, shorrtd be cheerfully recognised. His interest in the collec- tion of minerals, when the mines were just beginning to be opened up, was only an earnest of what might have been done had his life not been so prematurely ended. 120 ROYAL SOCIETY FROM THK YKAK 1840 TO 1000. Mr. C. E. Beddome wat! also a good friend ^o th« science of conchology, aud his own specimens and studies were always available for the use of any students. Tlie meteorological work of Mr. A. B. Biggs, of Laun- ceatOD, has been of the greatesst value, and his patient record of much observation incr«^';ist's very much the value of the reports of the Society. Mr. A. Montgomery, formerly Government Geologist, con- tributed several papers on geological subjects, and was one of the members whose careful observation was at the service of tie Society on any subject lying within the scope of his studies. Among scores of contributors and hundreds of subjects one might go on for an hour enumerating those to whom the Society is indebted in various ways, but this necessarily imper- fect sketch must conclude with a list of the main suVvjects treated during the time under review. Kemembering the many difficulties inseparal)le from life in a new country, and the special conditions of the population, with the upset caused by the discovery of gold, the list of papers as a partial record of work done by scientific men in Tasmania is creditable, rtud we may well be proud of belonging to a Society which has so splendid a record. Taking the subjects in order the number of papers is as follows : — Mammalia ... ... ... ... ... 12 Aves , 27 Conchology ... ... ... ... ... 44 Keptilia and Amphibia ... ... ... 6 Pisces ... ... ... ... ... 58 lusecta and Crustacea ... ... ... 18 Vermes ... ... ... ... ... '6 General Zoology ... ... ... ... 18 Botany 85 Geology, Paleontology, and Mineralogy 132 Geography ... ... .. ... ... 45 Ethnology VJ Astronomy and Meteorology ... ... 56 Economic Science and Education ... ... 20 General Subjects ... ... ... ... O^i Total papers, not including- small j)a])ers on various subjects, 606. It is to be hoped that this record, compiled at the end of this century, may stimulate those who carry on this work in the century to come not only to do likewise, but much more abundantly^. 127 PR\OTJOABLE FORESTRY IN TASMANIA AND ELSEWHERE. By A. Mault. The immense extent of forest land in Tasmania has struck everv visitor to the island from the time of Abel Tasmau to our own day. On the visitors who came to stay as settlers, this fact made an unfavourable impression, as its siL'nification to them was the cost of clearing land for cultivation. And this imijjression has coloured and affected all that has been 'lone in the way of dealing with forest land in the State. Trees have been regarded almost exclusively as impediments to agriculture, and not as possessing any intrinsic value worth consideration. Consequently every suggestion made for forest conservation has been regarded with suspicion as pos- sibly entailing something to be done for forestry at the ex- pense of agriculture and settlement. It is time that this suspicion should be banished. There can be no doubt but that agriculture is the mainstay of the country, and that nothing should be allowed to hamper or obstruct it. But a proper system of forestry, iusteid of doing this, would really benefit agriculture by improving climatic conditions. In fact forestry need not enter into any competition for land with agriculture. Land altogether unsuitable for agriculture is very well suited for tree growing. I know great tracts of country in France that could not be let for half-a-crown an acre per annum for farming, but which yield more than thirty shillings an acre under forest cultivation. There is an im- mense extent of similar country in Tasmania, and some of this could be better used for forestry than for anything else. The rule to be followed in the appropriation of land for any purpose, is to appropriate it for the purpose that will yield the largest return. By all means reserve for settlement, and for agricultural and horticultural purposes, all the best of the land ; when that has been done there will be plenty left for pastoral purposes and forest conservation. V\rith regard to forest conservation itself, there is a great deal of misapprehension. To judge by the manner in which it has been discussed in these rooms and elsewhere, one would think that the advocates of forest conservation proposed to subject the whole of the Crown woodlands in the State to a regime of conservation. Such a proposal is not only impracticable, but useless, as it would be sure to break down unuer its own weight of responsibility and costliness. This mistaken idea of what is proposed has arisen from a misun- derstanding of what has taken place in other countries. It is true that in France, Germany, India, and other countries 128 PRACTICAL FORESTRY IN TASMANIA AND ELSEWHERE. where a system of forest couservation exists, the system applies to all the State domairis ; but these countries are all old settled ones, in which the State domains form but a com- paratively small proportion of the area of the whole territory. The woodlands of these domains are therefore only of such, an extent as can be j^ractically dealt with. It would be folly in Tasmania to do more than deal with a reasonable portion of its woodlands. The first thing to be done is to determine what this pro- portion shall be, and to select the sites of the reserves. In making this selection, after taking care that land is not taken that is better suited for other purposes, the most important condition is position and accessibility ; then the question of adaptability of the climate and soil of the locality to the kind of timber proposed to be grown and conserved must be considered. As the position of the reserves is thus so important, no time should be lost in determining this point, at least with regard to those in the more settled parts of the country. I understand that of the 12,000,000 acres of still unalienated Crown land in the State^ about 175,000 acres have been j^roclaimed as forest re- serves. This area I think quite insufficient in extent for future requirements, but it is still more inadequate when the location of the reserves is considered. Not only should there he large national reserves for industrial and commercial purposes in accessible places, but there should be smaller ones in the neighbourhood of all townships for local requirements of all sorts. The advantage — not to say the necessity — of doing this, seems to have been alto- gether overlooked in Tasmania hitherto, with the result that in such a simple matter as the supply of firewood the cost in many places has doubled within the last dozen years — and the fire- wood industry is an important one from the point of view of the general population. In many places also — especially places without railways — wood for constructional purposes has greatly appreciated in value. In some other countries greater prevision has been shown, particularly in France, where many of the communes have woodlands that are managed for them by the National Forest Department, with the result that in some of them the revenue derived is suflBcient to pay for the whole cost of local government without any recourse to rating for either municipal or educational purposes. The provision of all these necessary national and local reserves can now be made with far less difficulty than in the future, and I would strongly urge that it be at once made. There is no necessity for any further legislation to carry out my recommendation thus far. As the Groimi Lands Guide says, *'The Governor-in-Council may, by proclamation in the BY A. MAULT. 129 Gazette, except from sale, and reserve to His Majesty such land as he sees fit for the preservation and growth of timber." Under this power 175,000 acres have, as I have before said, been reserved, but so far as I can learn no special action has yet been taken to preserve or grow timber on these reserves. So that what is required is not only that the reserves should be increased in extent, but that they should be actively and practically administered so as to fulfil the object which is the pretext of their reservation. It will be noted that in all this, when once the reserves are proclaimed, there is no interference whatever with the present administration of Crown lands, even that part of it which deals with exploitation of timber in forest lands that are not reserved. All the present system of sawmill leases and timber licenses may be carried out hs set forth from page 31 to page 52 of the Crovni Lands Guide. I express no opinion on that system if forest reserves are more expressly withdrawn from its operation ; but only wish to make it clearly under- stood thai the forest conservation I advocate will not in any way interfere with the revenue derived by the Lands Depart- ment from its leasing and licensing regulations. With regard to the larger forest reserves of the State, some will have to be for general purposes, and some for special ; and the locality selected for each of them will, of course, depend on its purpose. As before mentioned, good arable land is not necessary — in most cases it may be said — is not desirable. Some part of every large reserve will be found to possess such better quality of soil as may be desired for the nursery that should be attached to every reserve. Usually the larger reserves, at the time of their selection, "will con- tain trees of several kinds, and of course these kinds will be conserved to their maturity ; but in the long run it will probably be found best to select for the permanent affores- tation of each reserve the cultivation of the special tree that has proved the most successful in its region. Thus, in time we shall have large regional reserves of all our most market- able kinds of eucalyptus, such as blue gum, peppermint, stringy -bark, and iron-bark ; of pines, such as Huon, King William, and celery-top ; and of blackwood, myrtle, and other woods. At the same time persistent efforts should be made to introduce suitable foreign timber trees for the local pro- duction of industrial woods possessing qualities that are warn ing in the Tasmanian ones. With regard to the smaller local forest reserves there will probably be in many cases but a very restricted scope for selection. Still the selection should be made, even if it in- volve»est initiatory process would be wattle planting, with or without some tree planting for permanent timber. Till the timber has grown to maturity, the wattle might be subject to a 13 or 15 year rotation for bark and lirewood, and from the first rotation coming in the expenses of the reserve should be more than met In the cases in which the reserve is already wooded, the regim*- would be similar to that of the large reserves carried out on a smaller scale. Each reserve should have an adequate statf to properly take care of it - not necessarily an expensive staff, but one suitable to the condition and extent of the reserve. But the central administration should be virtually a school of forestry. It should consist of a properly qualified conser- vator, and two or three mor--^ or less qualified assistants. When the system of conservation best udapted to our condi- tions here is duly decided upon, it should be systematically but gradually carried out in all the reserves. The system will be based uj)on a thorough practical knowledge of i'orestry in general, and of the timber trees of Tasmania in particular. Of course in the lar^e reserves the trees will at first he there, and the conservancy will have to decide what is the best to be done with them in their present condition — that is, to make the best of them as they are, and with the view of enabling the introduction of a proper system of rota- tion, which is the basis of all economical forestry. Some of the timber will require a long period of rotation, probably 100 years, and the reserve will have to be divided into a cor- responding number of sections or " cantons," as they are usually called. It is evident that this cannot be done at once, for jDrobably in all the cantons as at first defined there would be mature trees that would be s2:>oilt if made to wait for their turn in the rotation of felling. It will be in arranging for and meeting this condition of things that the skill and discretion of the conservancy will be proved. It is not an insurmountable difficulty, and with patient perseverance it will be astonishing in what a short time a reserve will be reduced to comparative order, showing one canton in process of being cleared by the current year's felling, last year's canton being prepared for planting and in process of being planted, and those of previous years being watched, tended as required, and periodically thinned. This latter operation is timed to secure, if possible, a market according to the age of the thinning for hop poles, telegraph poles, fencing, mining timber, railway sleepers, piles, and wood for such like services, and if the waste cannot be sold as firewood or charcoal, it is burnt to disencumber the ground. Under this system by the time the last canton of a forest is felled, the BY A. MAULT. 131 trees in the first will have arrived at maturity, and the market will be kept regularly supplied with timber and wood of all sorts and kinds. The conservancy will have to settle the questions of the proper time of felling the various kinds of timber trees, the proppr manner of planting, the best method of seasoning wood, including seasoning hard woods while the trees are standing as practised in the teak forests in India, the time and manner of selling the wood, the means to be taken for protecting the forests from fire, and all such details of forest conservation. The carrying out of all its duties by the con- servancy will naturally train its staff to the fulfilment of theirs, so that in time they can be entrusted with the charge of the various reserves under due direction and supervision from headquarters. The varying importance of the State and local reserves will atford means of duly recognising zeal and ability bv promotion. But the importance of getting a well- trained staff emphasises the necessity of securing a tho- roughly capable conservator, for there cannot be good train- ing without a good trainer. It would be the falsest economy to get an incapable or badly trained man who could only introduce or perpetuate a bad and slovenly system. It will naturally take some time to get the conservancy into full working order, so that it can shoAV paying results. The length of this time will very much depend upon the conservator, and the means given him to make a proper start. This can be done by at once establishing an important local reserve at headquarters. I would suggest that the area of Mount Wellington proclaimed by the Governor-in-Council of the "ioth September, 1871, as a "water reserve for the supply of the City of Hobart, should be also proclaimed as a forest reserve, together with all tiie adjacent unalienated Crown lands. That such lands are not well adapted for ordinary settlement is, I think, shown by the fact that they are not already taken up. What the area of this reservp would be I cannot say precisely, but probablv such parts of it as could be conveniently held and administered, together wdth the water reserve, would form a forest of five or six thousand acres, quite a sufiicient area for the proi:»er instruction and development of a School of Forestry. Such a procla- mation would not interfere with the water supply of Hobirt, but on the contrary further protect and increase it by the re-afforestation of much of the mountain that by fires and neglect has been left bare, and led to the continuous diminution of the rainfall there. Neither should it interfere with the enjoyment of the mountain by the people of Hobart and their visitors, but greatly increase it by adding the addi- tional charms of judicious planting, and, by careful guarding, 132 PRACTICAL FORESTRY IN TASMANIA AND ELSEWHERE. restra'm the mischief and dirty doings of the larrikin element in our midst. On the other hand the great diversity of soil and climate to be found on the mountain with its slopes and valleys exposed to every aspect of the heavens, and shown by the wealth of its flora, point it out as eminently fitted as being the training ground of our School of Forestry. All but three of the eight woods I mentioned as the chief marketable woods of the State already grow there naturally ; and the other three, with perhaps the exception of iron- bark, would probably grow if proper conditions were observed. In fact the experimental observation of what would grow, and what would not, and what conditions had to be observed, would form most useful object lessons in the course of study and | racti^al work both with re- gard to native trees and to attempts to introduce European, American, and other pines and hardwoods. The scientific and technical education of the higher grades of the con- servancy officers could be easily arranged for, and the re- sults of the manual and technical training of the lower grades of forest guards should more than pay for such training when carried on so near to such a market as Hobart. But apart from this, the occupation of the mountain for this purpose would greatly add to its value in all respects, and the training could be easily and continuously supervised so as to insure an early supply of the officers required for the whole State. I am convinced that this is the best, the easiest, and the most economical method of properly inaugurating a system of forest conservancy on the State. I need not expatiate on the necessity of taking early means of establishing this system. Forestry, like agriculture, deserves every encouragement, for like agriculture it adds, when properly carried on, to the wealth of the soil on which it is exercised by continually renewing its fertility, whereas mining, though productive of immediate large returns, permanently impoverishes the ground by taking out its wealth once for all. In a young community of course mining is encouraged, so that money may be earned, and become available in a short tune. The timber treasure of the State has for the same reason been worked on the same lines as the mineral wealth — it has been allowed to be worked out without making any provision for its renewal, though such renewal is as practicable in regard to timber as it is impossible in regard to minerals. It is true that the land from which trees have been removed is sometimes improved by the removal, and fitted for other pur- poses ; but it is rarely so in the case of land leased for saw- milling purposes, and on which felling and splitting licences are valid ; for such land is usually left so encumbered with BY A. MAULT. 133 rubbish and tree stumps and so quickly overgrown with scrub as to be more difficult and costly to clear than when in primeval forest. It is time that a new policy in regard to this matter should be adopted, or at least that a new system should be introduced to supplement the present one. The rate at which our available forests have disappeared and are disappearing is great, and continually becoming greater. As nearly as I can esti- mate from the replies received to my enquiries, from 70,000,000 to 100,000,000 square feet of sawn timber are pro- duced yearly in the State, "f which about one-tenth is exported. What the quantity is of unsawn and hand-sawn timber, timber used for mining, fencing, splitting, and such like purposes, wasted by splitters and burnt by bush fires, it is almost impossible to guess, quite impossible to estimate ; five or six times the quantity sawn is probably far below the real quantity. So it is quite time to arrange how we are going to supply such a consumption from our available sources — that is, from accessible sources ; for there are millions of acres no more accessible at present than if they were in the moon. On the other hand, there are evident signs that if we wish to secure any important share in the markets of continental Australia, and South Africa and England, we must be ready not only with an assuredsupply of marketable timber, but with one of properly seasoned timber. It behoves us, therefore, to prepare for action. The best preparation we can make consists in organising measures, one of the chief of which will be forest conserva- tion. In adopting this we may dismiss all misgiving by the knowledge of the fact that no country which has adopted it has ever regretted its adoption. 134 :note on itacolumite or flexible sand- stone. By E. G. Hogg, M.A. A. Tlie existence of flexible sandstone appears to have been known of since 1780, when specimens were brought to Europe from Brazil hy the Marquis of Lavradio, Viceroy of Rio de Janeiro. The bed-rock in which the flexible sand- stone occurs was found by Von Eschwege to be largely dereloped near Mt. Itacolunii in the State of Villa Rica, Province of Mina Garaes, Brazil, and is described by him sls a fissile sandstcme containing plates of talc, chlorite, and mica. This rock contains a little gold, and has been shown by Heusser and Claraz to be the pareni source of the Brazi- lian diamond. The beds generally rest on the crystalline schists and frequently pass into conglomerates. According to Fr. Hartt (Geology and Physical Geography of Brazil, 1870) the bed-rock is probably an altered Lower Silurian formation, while Prof. O. A. Derby classes it as of Huronian a2:e. In this bed-rock the flexible sandstone occurs in some abundance; it is distributed in such a manner as to pomt strongly to the conclusion that the sandstone is only flexible when it has been considerably metamorphosed. Professor Derby* states that on one side of a fissure the rock may be often' found without any trace of flexibility, while on the other it is laminated and flexi*'te. He concludes that flexi- bility is not an original characteristic of the rock, but is a " phase of weathering " or decay brought about by percolating waters. Mr. R. D. Oldham, F.G.S., Director of the Indian Geolo- gical Survey, f has discussed at some length the occurrence of flexible sandstone at Kaliana, near Dadri in Jhind. [It is probable that the specimen exhibited l)y the Lord Bishop of Tasmania came from this locality.] Mr. Oldham states : " at Kaliana the flexible stone occurs on a hill composed of vertically bedded glassy quartzites : it is confined so far as my investigations and enquiries went, to one single spot where, for about 20 feet across the strike, and for about 30 yards abng it, the rock has become flexible; near the margin of this area the flexible stone passes downwards into the ordinary quartzites, but in the centre the decomposition had extended downwards to the floor of the quarry, a depth of fully 15 feet; here, too, the rock was much softer, more decomposed and flexible than near the margin." * Amer Journal of Science, Vol. XXIII. (1884), pp. 203, etc t Records of the Geological Survery of India, Vol. XXII, Part I, pp. 51, etc- BY E. G. HOGG, M.A. 135 This view of the connection between the decomposition and flexibility of the sandstone is, to a 'certain extent, borne' out by Mr. Tuomey in his Report on the Geology of S. Carolina. He observes that the itacoluniite of that state " passes even in the same mass into compact quartz, to be distinguished from common quartz only by its stratified structure," and that " the passage from the arenaceous to the compact variety is gradual, and it is in this passage that it assumes the form of itacolumite" (flexible sandstone). It must be noticed that the term itacolumite has two different significations ; it is with some writers " flexible sandstone," with others the bed-rock in which " flexible sandstone" occurs. It would appear that so far as the field relations are concerned — though more evidence on this point is much to he desired — itacolumite only becomes flexible when it has undergone a certain amount of decomposition, probably due either to weathering, or to the percolation of water or other solvent. Such weathering or solvent action may remove, either in toto or in part, certain of the original constituents of the rock. Of course, as a result of chemical combination, these constituents may be replaced, to a more or less extent, by other bodies. It is worth noticing that so far as our knowledge on the subject goes, flexible sandstone only occurs in metamorphosed deposits, which are undoubtedly of very ancient origin. B. In this section of the note I must acknowledge how much I am indebted to the paper of Mr. Oldham, previously referred to. I now propose to give a digest, mainly drawn from Mr. Oldham's paper, of two theories broui^ht forward to explain the peculiar properties possessed by flexible sandstone. It seems best to refer to the generally accepted theory, i.e., the theory found in recent times in many extensively pur- chased treatises and manuals on g<-'ology. This theory would ascribe the flexibility of itacoluudtic sandstone to the talc, chlorite, and mica stated to occur in it. It is only fair to notice that the partisans of this older view Avere unacquainted with the modern ir.ethods of petrological analysis. This older view of the cause of flexibility can be traced to Yon Escliwege, to whom is due the fanciful name of itacolumite. But apirirt from the difficulties depending on the physical properties — in the matter of elasticity — of micri, it appears quite clear from Mr. Oldham's paper that flexibility is exhibited by the itacolumite, even when mica is absent, or is quite subsidiary. If the cause of the flexibility lie in the pre- sence in the slab of flakes of mica, chlorite or talc, whose phmes are parallel to those of the lam,inations of the slab, it is diffi- 136 NOTE ON ITACOLUMITE OR FLEXIBLE SANDSTONE. cnlt indeed to see liow to account for the stretching of the slab wlien tension, and its compression when pressure, is applied. I have recently been able to examine a specimen of flexible sandstone in the possession of Mr. T. S. Hall, M.A., Acting- Professor of Biolog'v in the University of Melbourne, and in this specimen both of the phenomena of extension and com- pression are present. After all, if the rock shows flexibility when mica, chlorite and talc are either entirely absent, or are quite subsidiary, it seems quite clear that the older theory must be abandoned. The theory with which we have now to deal is, I believe, the one usually accepted amongst modern geologists. Though not without its own difficulties it is in many ways more con- vincing than the one due to Yon Eschwege. Mr. Oldham's view, as stated in his own words, ii that: ** the flexibility of the rock is due, not to the flexibility of any of its constituents, but to some peculiarity in the mode of aggregation of the individual grains of quartz and other material of which it is composed." A similar idea was put forward by Klaproth § as far back as 1785, and at a later date by the Rev. Dr. Haughton, F.R.S. Mr. Oldham appears to have carefully examined the rock in thin microscopical slides. As a result of his labours, he states : " If a slice of flexible sandstone is examined under the microscope, by reflected light, it exhibits a structure most eonspicuous in all the specimens of flexible, and equally con- spicuous by its absence from all specimens of non-flexible, stone I have examined. The rock consists of irregular aggre- gates of grains of quartz separated from each other by fissures and crevices which extend deep) into the stone and give one the impression of ramifying through its mass further than they can be actually traced. Should one of these aggregates of quartz grains be touched with a needle it will be found loose and easily moveable from side to side, but it cannot be displaced without fracture, either of itself or of the surround- ing particles. In fact the rock consists of a number of irregular aggregates of quartz which hold together by projections on one fitting into hollows in another, while the elear space between them alloAvs of a certain amount of play." Mr. Oldham gives two plates supporting his view of the structure of the rock. Mr. Oldham then proceeds in develop- ment of his theory as follows : — "In the Kaliiina rock there is, besides the quartz and accessory minerals, a certain proportion of felspathic paste, more conspicuous in sections cut transverse, than in those cut parallel to the bedding. This paste does not surround the individual grains of quartz, but occupies spaces between aggregates of grains, and it is § Schrift Berl. Ues. Natfur. Freunde VI., 322 (1785). BY E. G. HOGG, M.A. 137 to the decomposition and removal of this paste that the flexibility of some specimens is due. In such a rock the development of a flexible structure depends on the pro- portion and mode of distribution of the ielspathic mud." I have, I think, stated the essentials of Mr. Oldham's theory, viz., the peculiar mode of aggregation of the quartzi grains, and the removal of a certain proportion of the " felspathic mud" in which, to a more or less extent, the quartz grains are included. The partial removal of this enveloping mud creates free spaces which the quartz grains may occupy when stress is applied to the surface of the slab. A theory, apparently identical with that of Mr. Oldham, \vas put forward in 1887 by Herr O. Miigge. || Through the kindness of Mr. Morton, secretary of this Society, I recently secured a small piece of flexible sandstone, believed by Mr. Morton to have been brought from India. In external appearance it does not differ appreciably from the specimen exhibited by the Lord Bishop this evening. The microscopic slides prepared show that the rock consists mainly of quartz grains which had suffered little attrition before deposition. Biotite and muscovite are both present, but from their feeble development they can hardly be regarded as a main cause of the flexibility of the stone. In addition the slide shows the occurrence, in fair quantity, of a matrix of isotropic character containing much included matter. The inclusions are, for the most part, quartz grains of microscopic dimensions and a small amount of opaque matter, the nature of which I have failed to determine. This opaque matter is, however, so subsidiary, as to suggest that it does not play any part in the explanation of the flexible nature of the rock. The slides appear to me to clearly show that part of the paste originally enclosing the un-and sub-rounded grains of quartz has been removed. The slides do not throw any light on the interlocking structure of the quartz on which Mr. Oldham's theory largely depends. This negative result is possibly due to the fact that my slides were not cut in the direction required to show up to advantage the inter- locking structure, and the small piece of sandstone in my possession did not admit of the i^reparation of many slides. On consideration it does not appear clear that the " inter- locking " of the quartz is the fundamental point in any theory brought forward to explain " flexible sandstone " It would seem rather that a z'era causa is to be found in the partial removal of the matrix, whereby the quartz grains have free play to move when the slab is stressed in any manner. As regards the origin of an interlocking structure in the quartz Mr. Oldham is silent, and indeed any theory to explain this II Neu. Jahib. I Band., 1S87, pp. 195-7. 138 NOTE ON ITACOLUMITE OR FLEXIBLE 3ANDST0NE. difficulty is very Lard to formulate. Mr. Oldliarn, it is only fair to say, attributes much weight to the removal of the matrix iu a suitable proportion. I cannot do better than again quote from his paper. '' The develoj)ment of a flexible structure depends on the proportion and mode of distri- bution of the felspathic mud ; if absent or only present in very small proportion, decomposition will not extend deep into the rock, the quartz grains will be detached and fall off, leaving the uiidecomposed rock with a mere film of weathered stuff on the surface ; if it is too evenly distributed, the quartz grains will not be iu sufficiently intimate contact with eacjh other, and as the rock Avea.thers it will decompose into grains of sand easily detached and removed ; if finally it should be suitably distributed, but too large in amount, the voids left by its removal will be so large that the quartz aggregates will not interlock with each other." Mr. Oldhnm goes on to state, " the number of conditions which must be fulfilled satisfactorily accounts for the rarity of flexible sandstone, and to a certain extent for the capriciousness of its distribution in rocks which are of the same nge and have, to all appearance, the same composition and structure." With this statement of Mr. Oldham I am quite in accord ; the removal of the matrix in jiist a suitable proportion seems necessarv. With regard to the isotropic matrix, it would appear that we have to look to a double metamorphism. The rock was, we will assume, a normal sandstone initially ; intense heat may liMve led to a partial fusion whereby the ex- ternal surfaces of the cjuartz grains may have been trans- formed into a glassy material ; at a later date solvent action may have removed this matrix in such suitable pro- portion as to give flexibility without disintegration. This is, of course, mere hypothesis, but the importance of explaining the isotropic base of the rock is at least as serious as the inter- locking structure of the quartz. Mr. Oldham, in support of his view, attaches much im- portance to the appearances presented by the flexible sandstone near Charli, south of the Pemgauga River in Berar. He states " it is an ordinary soft sandstone of rounded grains of quartz with a little felspar, held together by a cement of carbonate of lime, which forms 3o'9 per cent, of the whole mass. Here there is no comparatively soluble material whose removal leaves the rest of the rock as a mass of irreo-ular aorgresiates interlocking with each other, for on removal of the cement by solution, the rock falls into sand. But if the fractured surface of the rock is examined, an abundance of sheeny patches point to a "rystalliscition of the cementing matrix, and these planes afford a number of planes along which solution proceeds with greater rapidity than elsewhere, and as a result BY E. G. HOGG, M.A. 139 the rock becomes divided into irregular aggregates of sand and calcite." It seems to me that the sample of the Cluirh sandstone needs much consideration before it can be regarded as a real support to Mr. Oldhnm's views as to the flexibility of the Kahana rock. The difference between the two cases is fairly obvious ; in the Kaliana stone the quartz grains interlock, and the matrix is partially removed ; in the Cluirli rock the interlocking takes p'ace not between the c|uartz grains, but between the facets of the crystals of calcite forming the base. The two explanations have, however, an important feature in common, viz., the occurrence of free cavities which may ramify into the rock in all directions. In this context it may be well to mention the occur- rence of flexibility in a rock which is not sandstone. Mr. G. W. Card* in 1892, drew attention to a flexible limestone of Permian age developed at Marsden, in the County of Durham, and at a point south of Sunderland. The rock is very finely laminated, is very soft and friable, and in general appearance not unlike a fine-grained sandstone It apjjears (according to Sedgwick) to have resulted chemically from deposition in successive layers. From sections prepared for the microscope it would appear that a low power reveals a large number of irregularly shajjed empty spaces, in the main ranged linearly indirections parallel to the bedding, but also occurring promiscuously through the section. The material of the slide is mainly an aggregate of grains of dolomite, with a very few grains of quartz and specks of blue and brown material. Mica is very rarely present. The larger grains of dolomite appear to be intergrown in such a way that the convexity of one fits into the concavity of another. As a cause of flexibility, Mr, Card suggests : In the first place room for internal movement is provided for by the abundance of empty spaces, and in the second the structure revealed by high magnifying power suggests the possibility that many of the grains are interlocked in such a manner as to permit of a certain amount of movement upon one another. Owing, however, to the small size of the grains, Mr. Card was unable to demonstrate whether the grains actually possessed such power of movement or not. Mr. Card's paper is of the greatest interest ; the rock it describes differs much both in point of age, composition, and mode of origin, from Mr. Oldham's flexible rocks ; again, the reality of the interlocking structure is far from certain, while the existence of cavities allowing free play of molecular movement seems well established. *Geol. Mag. (3) IX., 189.;, pp. 117, etc. 140 NOTE OX ITACOLUWITE OR FLEXIBLE SANDSTONE. The instances I have cited may now be summed up. The Kaliana rock shows (?) interlocking structure of quartz with removal of matrix ; the Charli rock shows cavities with possible interlocked structure of matrix. The rocks described by Mr. Card show cavities with possible interlocking of main material of rock (dolomite). It would appear from these results that interlocking is often doubtful, and in the main subsidiary ; that flexibility depends on (1) the nature of the matrix ; (2) the removal of such matrix in suitable proportion, as set forth by Mr. Oldham, so as to allow of free movement of the other constituents of the rock. SIR JAMES AGNEW, K.C.M.G., M.D., M.E.G. ©bititarn* Sir James Wilson Agnew, K.C.M.G., M.D., M.E.C., Senior Vice-President of the Royal Society of Tas- mania. Died on cSth November, 1901, in the 87th year of his age. — Born at Ballyclare, Ireland, on the 2nd October, 1815, he studied for the medical profession in London and Paris, and at Glas^^-ow, where he graduated M.D., as his father and grandfather had done before him, and came to Australia in 1839. After a short stay in New South Wales and Victoria (then known as Port Phillip), he accepted from Sir John Franklin the offer of appointment as medical officer to an important station at Tasman's Peninsula, wliere he devoted the greater part of his leisure time to the study of natural history. Prior to his removal to Hobart for the more extended practice of his profession, in which he sub- sequently attained a position of acknowledged eminence, he had assisted in founding the Tasmanian Societ}^, and lie became an active member of the Royal Society, into which the former Society merged in 1844. Shortly after the retirement of Dr. Milligan, its Secretary and Curator, in 1860, he undertook the duties of Seci'etary as a labour of love, in order that the whole of the limited amount available out of income might be appropriated as salary for the Curator of the Museum. From that time on- wards, except during occasional periods of absence from Tasmania, he continued to act as chief executive officer of the Royal Society in the capacity of Honorary Secretary for many years, and latterly in that of Chairman of the Council ; and to the admirable manner in which those self-imposed duties were discharo-ed. 142 the records of the Society will bear endaring testi- mony for those who were not personally cognisant of his work. As far back as 1843 he contributed to the original. Society an exhaustive account of the structure, habits, and venomous properties of Tasmanian snakes. This was followed in 1864 by a paper " On the Poison of Venomous Snakes," which, after describing in detail some of his experimental researches, gives full direc- tions for the necessary remedial treatment in cases of snake-bite, and is still a standard authorit}^ on the subject. It is not by the number of papers appearing in the journals that the value of the services of such a man is to be gauged. A glance through the records of the Royal Society will show that he was ever on the look out for opportunities of promoting its work in the cause of Science, and in the public interest. He took an active part in the various projects for acclimatising the Salmonid?e in Tasmania, and defrayed the whole cost of the last importation of salmon ova from the mother-country, which was carried out with complete success, a cordial vote of thanks being accorded to him on the occasion by both Houses of Pai'liament. This, however, was only one of many instances of his liberal support of public enterprises which he deemed deserving^ of encouragement, and as to those with which he was more directly connected, the Library of the Royal Society, as well as the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, will for all time bear witness to his generous benefactions to those institutions. He was not a politician in the ordinary sense of the term, but was a valued Member of the Legislative Council for many years, and held office without portfolio in various Ministries up to 1886, when, as Premier and Chief Secretary he took an active part in the re-organisation of the Department of Education and other business of great public importance. He was created K.C.M.G. in 1894. 143 But it is not only for such qualities as were evidenced in his public life, or in the practice of his profession, that the memory of Sir James Agnew will be held in affectionate remembrance. Of his private benevolence, and of liis readiness to help any institu- tion or enterprise that appealed to his sympathy, there can be no official record. Nor is it possible, even for those who knew him best, to give any adequate description of the versatility of his genius, which enabled him to take a keen and intelligent interest in everything that came in his way, from the translation of an Ode of Horace, or some literary criticism, to the discussion of arcana con- nected with his own profession, or the latest discoveries in mechanical and electrical enmneerino;. This active interest in everything that concerned humanity con- tinued throughout his life, and his faculties happily remained unclouded to the end. " He had reaped The harvest of his days, and fell asleei» Amid their garnered sheaves." Richard Stonhewer Bright, M.R.C.S., E., L.M., L.S.A. Died 28th October, 1901.— Born at South Audley-street, London, in 1835, he was educated at Christ's Hospital and King's College, and, following in the steps of his father, took up the study of the medical profession, and qualified for membership of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1857. Commencing his professional career on his arrival in Tasmania in 1858, he continued in active practice until his death, having been for 41 years Honorary Surgeon at the 144 General Hospital, Hobart. At the Intercolonial Medical Con^^ress, held at Brisbane in 1900, he was unani- mously elected President ol the Congress to be held at Hobart in 1902, an honour which he did not live to enjoy. Dr. Bright was an old and valued member of the Roval Societv of Tasmania, havinor been elected Fellow in 1S65, and a member of the Council in 1S97. He was also President of the Medical Section of the Royal Society. Hex. Charles Hexry Grant. Assoc. M. Ixst. C.E., M.E.C. Died 30th September, 1901. in the 70th year of his age. — Bom at Great Marlow, Buckinghamshire, Eno-land, on the 9th November. 1S31, he was educated at King's College, London, where he achieved distinc- tion in mathematical studies, and he subsequently Grained large experience in Telegraphy and Railway Engineering, both in England and in Canada. He came to Tasmania in 1872 to superintend the con- struction of the Main Line of Railway between Hobart and Launceston, of which he acted as General Manager until the line became the property of the State in 1890. He was elected a memh^er of the Legislative Council in 1892. was a leading member of man\- public institutions, and was one of the representatives of Tasmania at the Federal Convention held in Adelaide, Sydney, and Melbourae in 1897-8. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Tasmania in 1872, and a member of the Council in 1880, and was one of the oricdnal Trustees of the Tasmanian Museum and Botanical Gardens, taking an active and con- spicuous share in all the duties which thus devolved upon him. PRINTED BY DAT1E5 BROTaERS UMITED, UOBX&l, TASltA>U. PAPERS & PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 7" OP TASMANIA. FOK THE TEARS I 900- 1 90 I (ISSUED JUNE, 1902. aasmania: PRIXTEP BY D.VVIE-i BROTHERS LIMITED, MACQUARIE STREET, HOBART. 1902. CONTENTS. FAFEES. Land Shells from Marii Island. By W. F. Petterd, C.M.Z.S.,L. 1 Aerial Navigation (Abstract). By E. O. Litchfield ... ... ii The Birds of Australia; Birds, Nests, and Eggs (Title). By A. J. Campbell F.L.S iii The Falls of Niagara as a Geological Chronometer. By Professor E. G. Hogg, M.A iii De.scriptions of some Crustaceans from Cape Adare. By G. M. Thomson, F.L.S — ... ... ... ... .. ... ?, Contributions towards a Systematic Catalogue of Ta-:manian Diatomaceie. By F. p]. Burbury ... ... ... ... 4 Notes on a \'isit to the Museums at Perth and Adelaide, with special I'eference to the Blacks of West Australia. . B}' the Right Rev. H. H. Montgomery, D.D v A System of Light Railways for Ta,smania (Abstract). By G. E. Moore, C.E. vii Observations Regarding the discover}- of a portion of a Fossil Reptile, found on the N. -West Coast. By R, M. Johnston, F.S8 9 Reservoirs — Irrigation in India, and Deductions, with special refeience to the Hobart Reservoirs (Abstract). J)y C. B, Target, C. F. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... x Federal Finance (Title). By the Hon. N. J. Brown, M.E.C. .. x Hobart Society in 1845 (Abstract). By A. Mault... ... ... xii Further Notes on the Permo-( Carboniferous Fossil Cliffs at Darlington, Maria Island. (Plates). By R. M. Johnston, F.S.S. 11 On some additions to the List ()f Minerals known to occur in Tasmania. ]5y W. F. Petterd, F.Z.S.,L xiii The Present and Future Prospects of Timber in Tasmania. By Wm. Heyn .. ... ... ... ... ... ... 21 Tasmanian Timber. By A. 0. Greene .. ... ... .. xviii Notes on Coal Discovery at Wynyard, Tasmania. By R. M. John.ston, F.S.S. ... ... ... ... ... xxii Astronomical (Observations at Cape Town Observatory. By H. C. Kingsmil], M.A. ... ... ... ... ... ... xxiii Notes on a Trip to the Barn Bluff Country. By J. W. Beattie... xxv Presentation to His Lordship the Right Rev. H. H. Montgomery, D.D. ... .. ... ... xxxiv CONTENTS— (Continued). Account of a Visit to British Columbia for the purpose of intro- ducing the Sock-eye Sahnon (Onchorhynchus nerka) in Tasmauian Waters (Abstract). By Alex^_24orton ... ... xxxvi Forty-eighth Annual Report... ... ... 1 ... ... .. xxxvi Supplementary Notes on some AntarptJclTocks and Minerals. By W. A. MacLeod, B.A., and qf^E. White 38 Extension of the Museum and Art Gallery... .. ... ... xxxix Further Observations on some Obsidian Buttons. By Tho.s. Stephens, M. A., F.G.S 42 The Glacial Beds of Peppermint Bay. By Professor E. G. Hogg, MA 45 Description of a "Meteorite" from the Castray River, Tas- mania. (Plate.) By AV. F. Petterd, F.Z.S.,L 48 Description aud Analysis of a New Species of Mineral "Petterdite," a New Oxychloride of Lead (Plate). By W. H. Twelvetree^, F.G.S ." 51 ^Microscopic Structure of some Tasmanian Rocks. By W. F. Petterd, C.M.Z.S.,L. ... 53 Outlines of the Geology of Tasmania. By W. H. Twelvetrees, F.G.S 58 The Minerals of Tasmania. By W. F. Petterd, C.M.Z.S. .. 73 Magnetic Survey of Tasmania. By Professor E. G. Hogg, M. A.... 84 Botany. By L. Rodway ... ... ... ... ... ... 85 The Birds of Tasmania. By Col. W. V. Legge, C.M.Z.S., L. ... 90 The Recent Mollusca of Tasmania. By Mi.ss M. Lodder ... 102 Additions to Tasmanian Flora. By L. Rodway ... ... ,. 107 Some Account of the Work and Workers of the Tasmanian Society and the Royal Society of Tasmania, from the year 1840 to the close of 1900. By Alex. Morton 109 Practical Forestry in Tasmania. By A. Mault ... ... ... 127 Note on Itacolumite or Flexible Sandstone. By Professor E. G. Hogg, M.A 134 Obituary Notices — Sir James Agnew, K.C.M.G. , R. S. Bright, M.R.C.S.,E.; and the Hon. C. H. Grant 141 PRINTED BY DAVIES BROTHERS LIMITED, MAC^UARIE STREET, HOBART. ^ ! CO ! O 05 1 AMNH LIBRARY 100127214 'UWii^' i',- ■■•T^TTTT] :''.;« '-':ii')^^te -=;4::'-Jilil::||:-^'lii ',..:ir'. :(::;:;: :;;::'''v''''''S£iiS£Si' im..:] '■'^''■^■i>^':'^l-,\-^'^^':':': ilSiii '■i'^' :.';^'':t:^v:::::i!;:;:i,:;^;;;T;';ij,Vi;;:^:::,i;:^;:;:, |||||||i:ift|ig:-:|v=fjj^ i'";-' •'''I'ii''.; 'hi