52 Transactions. 



tliorougli knowledge of the progress of modern systematic work in classi- 

 fication, but a working knowledge of the mass of published literature on 

 the rocks of similar age found in other countries. Unless this is taken 

 into account, the resvilt will be a useless multiplication of genera and speciesy 

 and a further burdening of a synonymy already of bewildering length. 



At the meeting of the Australasian Association for the Advancement of 

 Science held at Dunedin in 1904, the subject of New Zealand paheontology 

 was brought up, and the President, Professor David, waited on the Minister 

 of Mines and communicated the following recommendation from Sec- 

 tion C, which had been agreed to by the association : — 



" New Zealand Fossils, 



" On the recommendation of Section C, it was agreed, That the follow- 

 ing resolution be forwarded to the New Zealand Government : That, 

 whereas this association considers that the description of the large collec- 

 tion of fossils now at the Wellington Museum is one of the most important 

 services which the New Zealand Government could at the present time 

 render to science, and that it is one which would be for the advancement 

 of science throughout the world ; that, whereas the work would be of 

 economic as well as of scientific interest, as it is only by its means that 

 the coalfields of New Zealand can be properly correlated, and the broad 

 relations and modes of origin of its metalliferous deposits understood ; 

 that, whereas, according to the annual reports, there are more than thirty 

 thousand fossil-specimens in the exhibition-cases at Wellington Museum, 

 by far the larger part of which are unnamed and undescribed, and besides 

 about five hundred boxes of fossils still unpacked in the same Museum ; 

 and that, whereas these collections, made at considerable expense to New 

 Zealand, are obviously useless in their present state — this Council recom- 

 mends : (1.) That the description of these fossils should be commenced 

 immediately, and that, if this recommendation is adopted by the New Zea- 

 land Government, the undermentioned groups of fossils be sent for descrip- 

 tion to the following workers at once : The graptolites, to T. S. Hall, M.A. ; 

 the Foraminifera and ostracods, to F. W. Chapman ; the echinoids, to 

 Professor Gregory ; Palaeozoic fossils other than those in the above groups, 

 to R. Etheridge, jun. (Curator, Australian Museum, Sydney), and W. S. 

 Dun (Palaeontologist, Geological Survey, New South Wales). (2.) That, 

 with regard to the large and important collections of Mesozoic and Cain- 

 ozoic fossils (other than echinoids, Foraminifera, and ostracods) in the 

 Wellington Museum, the Council recommends that advice as to their de- 

 scription be delegated, so far as this association is concerned, to a committee 

 consisting of the following : Captain F. W. Hutton (retiring President), 

 Professor Baldwin Spencer (President - elect), and A. Hamilton, Esq. 

 (Director of the Colonial Museum, Wellington)." 



The Hon. the Colonial Secretary was also written to to the same effect, 

 and did me the honour to forward the letter for my perusal, and asked for 

 my views on the matter ; and I replied as follows : — 



" Feb. 9th, 1904. 

 " To the Hon. the Colonial Secretary, Wellington. 



" Sir,— 



" I am obliged to you for the opportunity to peruse the letter ad- 

 dressed to the Premier by the President of the Australasian Association 

 for the Advancement of Science, and I am glad to have the opportunity 



