738 Proceedings . 



part being composed of tlie oldest metamorphic rocks that occur in New 

 Zealand, and the southern part and Pitt's Island of Lower Tertiary and 

 Cretaceous rocks. The soundings between the Chathams and Banks 

 Peninsula did not exceed 300 fathoms. 



The results of the voyage indicate so far that New Zealand is the 

 remnant of a mountain-cliain that formed the crest of a great continental 

 area tliat stretched far to the south and east, and which is now sub- 

 merged to a depth not much more than 2,000ft. 



The President felt sure that all were delighted with Sir James 

 Hector's most interesting lecture. It was rather late to take the discus- 

 sion on it, and it was proposed and carried that the discussion be 

 postponed to that evening fortnight. 



The President drew attention to specimens of double- 

 flowered columbines, exhibited by Mr. H. Phillips, Tinakori 

 Eoad. lu some of these flowers the tubular recurved petals 

 had completely disappeared and been replaced by flat, lanceo- 

 late, shortly-stalked petals, clearly resembling the ordinary 

 sepals, but arranged in several series, the innermost being 

 reduced to merely expanded filaments. The change to a 

 regular symmetrical flower was very striking, especially in 

 those where the petals were arranged in not more than two 

 series. This transformation of filaments into petals was 

 usually attended by an increase in the number of carpels 

 from five to eight or nine. In other specimens the spurred 

 tubular petals were largely increased in numbers. 



Ninth Meeting : 27th November, 1895. 



Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., President, in the chair. 



It was announced that the following gentlemen had been 

 elected Governors of the New Zealand Institute to represent 

 the incorporated societies for the ensuing year : Major- 

 General Schaw, Mr. McKerrow, and Mr. S. Percy Smith. 



Tlio adjourned discussion on Sir James Hector's paper on the out- 

 lying islands soutli of New Zealand was opened by Sin W. Buller, who 

 said that for those who have not had an opportunity of visiting those 

 islands it was almost impossible to form any correct idea on tlie subject 

 witlioub such a fine map as that now exhibited. Even Sir Josepli 

 Hooker, in acknowledging receipt of an autiior's copy of his (Sir 

 Walter's) "Illustrations of Darwinism," and discussing its argument, 

 had complained that, through the want of such a map, lie often 

 found himself in a difSculty about locality. The theory which Sir 

 James Hector had put before the meeting to account for the present 

 configuration of the Auckland Islands was, to his mind, most interest- 

 ing and suggestive, and seemed to explaip much that was obscure be- 

 fore. The information also about the deep-sea soundings, showing the 

 existence of an elevated plateau over an entirely new area, was most 

 valuable, as helping to define the true limits of tlie much -discussed 

 sunken continent of Antarctica. The lecturer's observabious on the 

 geology of the isolated i.slaii'l areas, find his remaiks on the zoology 

 and botany, were also very important. In fact, the lecture was bristling 



