344 Transactions. — Geology. 



has been brought up from great depths by volcanic agency, just 

 as has been the case at Tarawera. It is only found in smooth 

 rounded boulders on the beach, and then in no great quantities ; 

 but still there is enough to preclude the idea that these have 

 been brought there by the hand of man. 



With the exception of this syenite, the islands afford no 

 support to tbe theory that a continent, now submerged, 

 extended formerly iu tbis direction, and on to the other islands 

 of the Pacific — at any rate witbin the more recent geological 

 periods — and by which means our fauna and flora travelled 

 down from the north. If ever such land connection existed, it 

 must have been in very ancient times, probably long before the 

 dawn of the Tertiary period. The solution of the problem as 

 to how the present flora and fauna of the islands became 

 domiciled there must be left to other hands than mine to deal 

 with ; I will merely point out that the presence of kauri logs 

 which can be traced to our northern rivers, together with all 

 the facts we know with respect to the currents between there 

 and New Zealand, suggest some thoughts as to their origin 

 that are worthy of attentive study. 



In conclusion, I beg to tender my sincere thanks to our 

 President, Professor Thomas, for the great trouble he has taken 

 in tbe microscopical examination and naming of the rock speci- 

 mens brought from the Kermadec Islands. 



Art. XLIV. — Minerals at Nelson. 



By H. P. Washbourne. 



[Read before the Nelson Philosophical Society, 6th February, 1888.] 



In the Nelson District we have but little agricultural land, but 

 we have an immense tract of mineral land, of the value of which 

 we have not, as yet, any idea. If we are to prosper, it must be 

 by the development of mining and manufactures ; and for both 

 of these industries we have natural advantages, if we will only 

 make use of them. The day is past when we could by tbe 

 primitive means of dish, cradle, or sluice-box, take out of the 

 creeks and gullies the gold, which the action of air and water 

 had separated from the matrix, and concentrated tbere. AYe 

 have now to win the minerals from their lodes, and we must 

 study tbe best way to discover those, and extract tbe valuable 

 metals economically when they are found. If I can contribute 

 anything about this matter that will interest you, I am sure I 

 shall be very happy to do so ; and if it only has the effect of 

 directing attention to some of the more obscure forms of the 



