OF ' N EW SO UTH WAL ES. 117 



marsupials, still exist in New Guinea, is it rash to conjecture that 

 some of these large creatures may not be living there at the 

 present time 1 Further researches may prove this. 



I will conclude with the following very apposite extract from 

 Wallace's Malay Archipelago : — 



" From this outline of the subject, it will be evident how 

 important an adjunct natural history is to geology ; not only in 

 interpreting the fragments of extinct animals found in the earth's 

 crust, but in determining past changes in the surface which have 

 no geological record. It is certainly a wonderful and unexpected 

 fact, that an accurate knowledge of the distribution of birds and 

 insects should enable us to map out lands and continents which 

 disappeared beneath the ocean long before the earliest traditions 

 of the human race. Wherever the geologist can explore the 

 earth's surface, lie can read much of its past history, and can 

 determine, approximately, its latest movements above and below sea 

 level ; but, wherever oceans and seas now extend, he can do 

 nothing but speculate on the very limited data afforded by the 

 depth of the waters. Here the naturalist steps in, and enables 

 him to fill up this great gap in the past history of the eai'tb." 



MONDAY, 27th MAECH, 1876. 



Captain Stackhouse, in the Chair. 



MEMBERS ELECTED. 



Eyre Goulburn Ellis, and E. Reading, Esqrs. 



The following paper was read : — 



List of Land Shells collected during the Che vert Expedition by 

 John Brazier, C.M.Z.S. 



1. — Helix (Thalassia) rustica. 



. Helix rustica, Pfr. in Zeitscher, f. Malak, 1852, p. 112. 

 „ „ Pfr. Mon. Helic Viven, 1853, vol. 3, p. 63. 



