REPORT FOR THE YEAR 1900. 173 



Ruby Plains Station, at the head of one of the branches of the 

 Mary River, Northern Territory, forty miles from Hallick. The 

 finder was Mr. R. Boulton. 



It became necessary, through the overcrowding of the ballustrade 

 cases around the Mineral Gallery, to remove the contents of certain 

 devoted to a small series illustrating the Physical Features of 

 Minerals. These I transferred to other cases on the landing 

 leading from the main staircase to the Mineral Gallery door, so 

 giving Dr. Cooksey the opportunity of expanding the general 

 collection. 



With the assistance of Mr. B. Lucas, I overhauled the whole 

 of the Mineral stores, spending several weeks in the work. By 

 this means I was able to distribute a large number of duplicate 

 specimens, as already explained under "Transfer of Specimens," 



Four hundred and sixty-eight printed labels were distributed 

 throughout the cases. 



One hundred and sixty-one specimens were acquired by donation ; 

 twenty-five by exchange; fifty-four (exclusive of the Porter Collec- 

 tion) by purchase; and seven by collecting. 



Palaeontology. 



(The Curator). 



Eighteen hundred and twenty-seven specimens were added to 

 the Collection in 1900, chiefly Invertebrata. In the wall cases of 

 the Geological Hall, reserved for large specimens, were placed 

 some further Mesozoic Cephalopoda, and Marsupial remains, chiefly 

 Macropodidaj. The more important general additions were a 

 series of Devonian Corals from the Tamworth District, collected 

 by myself and Mr. B. Lucas; Upper Marine Mollasca, also collected 

 by myself at Gerringong; and a good series of Eocene and Miocene 

 fossils, obtained by Mr. Charles Hedley, at Muddy Creek, Victoria. 

 Through the presentation by Mr. H. W. Blomfield of a large 

 series of Queensland Cretaceous fossils, our knowledge of the life 

 of that period has been advanced. Prominent among these are 

 portions of large Cephalopoda of the genera Crioceras and Ancylo- 

 ceras, and especially a series of tree-trunk portions, probably 

 Coniferous, riddled by a very large Teredo. The occurrence of 

 this genus in our Cretaceous was previously known, but its 

 presence in such numbers comes as a surprise. From Mr. John 

 Dibbs we received some fine Moa remains from the alluvial 

 deposits of the Clutha Valley, near Cromwell, Otago, N.Z., in- 

 cluding the femora, tibipe, tarso-metatarsi, and phalangeals, of 

 Dinornis niaximus, Owen. These have been set up, and when 

 placed in natural position attain a height of six feet, the phalan- 

 geals showing a spread of fifteen inches. 



