NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 819 



Dr. Norton communicated a Note recording an instance in 

 which an ant-resembling spider was observed to attack fatally one 

 of the community in a nest of the so-called bull-dog ants. 



The Rev. J. Milne Curran exhibited a fine series of enlarged 

 photograjDhs and numerous rock-specimens illustrative of the 

 physiography and geology of the Mt. Kosciusko Plateau, especially 

 in relation to the so-called evidences of glaciation. Having been 

 over the same ground as Dr. Lendenfeld and Mr. Helms, Mr. 

 Curran could not but agree with Mr. Helms as to the absence of 

 any evidence of glaciation in the Wilkinson Valley sucli as Dr. 

 Lendenfeld had reported. But he also felt compelled to differ 

 from Mr. Helms in respect of the other localities in Avhich this 

 observer thought he had detected evidence of glacial action, 

 as indicated on the map accompanying his paper; and he was 

 forced to the conclusion that the evidence adduced is wholly 

 insufficient, and that no strife, groovings, or polished faces due to 

 ice action, or roches moutonnees, perched blocks, moraine-stuff 

 or erratics are to be met with. Only one example of anything 

 like a polished block was noted, and in this case the polishing and 

 strife-like markings were clearly due to a "slicken-side." Most 

 of the granite is of a gneissic character, but normal granites are 

 also present, the latter weathering into spheroidal masses, the 

 contours of which in a few cases are suggestive of ice action. It 

 had been stated that the rocks on the plateau are not such as 

 would preserve glacial strise. With this Mr. Curran did not agree, 

 as he found porphj^ries, diorites and basalts, the latter belonging 

 to the non-felspathic section of these rocks, specimens of which 

 were exhibited. Apart from local evidence the general contour 

 of the valleys is not in the least suggestive of glaciers. He there- 

 fore concluded that (1) there is no satisfactory evidence of glaciers 

 in the present valleys. (2) Thei-e is absolutely no evidence of 

 extensive glaciation on the Kosciusko Plateau. (3) The " o-lacial 

 epoch of Australia " in Post-Tertiary times as described by Dr. 

 Lendenfeld, has no foundation in fact. 



