658 Proceedings. 



found at Silver Stream and Albury, in the South, and he de- 

 scribed the locahty. 



Sir James Hector said we were fortunate in getting these draw- 

 ings from Mr. Huddleston. He exhibited similar marlvings on rocks, 

 mentioned in one of the volumes of our Transactions. It was not quite 

 clear yet how they had been done or who did them. 



Mr. Maskell had seen and examined the Weka Pass drawings with a 

 party of explorers. Some thought they were very old, others that they 

 were done by natives of the present day, and others thought they were 

 done by shearers who had taken shelter in the caves. Nothing yet was 

 settled about their origin. 



Fifth Meeting : 6th Scptcmher, 1893. 



General Schaw, President, in the chair. 



Neiv Members. — Mr. J. Suckliug-Baion, Mr. C. O'Hara 

 Smith, Mr. Robert Tait, Mr. A. J. Litchfield, Mr. James 

 Wallace, Mrs. R. G. Gibson. 



Papers. — 1. "On Mental Operations in Sleep," by R. C. 

 Harding. 



Mr. Tregear said that Mr. Harding bad opened up a large number 

 of debatable subjects in -his paper. He could not agree with Mr. 

 Harding's explanation of the causes of dreams. 



Sir J. Hector said it was generally considered that the dreams of the 

 healthy state were not different in kind from those arising from fever 

 or any bodily or mental disorder. The most vivid dreams he had ever 

 experienced were when suffering from starvation. The latent impres- 

 sions in the mind of every one were so obscure and numerous as to 

 provide ample suggestions without calling in the aid of external or occult 

 influences, as suggested by the author. Dream-thought differed from 

 waking-thought only by the non-exercise of the will and the absence of 

 logical control. 



Mr. Maskell was sorry Mr. Harding had not commenced his paper 

 by explaining to us what sleep was, for until we knew this we could not tell 

 what dreams were. He did not think that delirium in fever was the same 

 as dreams. 



Mr. E. Bell did not agree with the psychical-cause theory. He 

 thought external causes did account for dreams. He gave instances of 

 such dreams. 



Mr. Tanner thought somnambulism and dreams were closely con- 

 nected. 'There was no end to the question of dreams. Could we not 

 dream when we are awake? He did not believe that dreams could be 

 controlled by outside influence. 



General Schaw said it was strange that after so many years we should 

 know so little about dreams. Dreams were very sudden, and were often 

 caused by a shock externally. One in a perfect sleep, he thought, did not 

 dream. 



Mr. Harding, in reply, said that those who had criticized his paper 

 had not touched the main point at all — that of orderly mental operations 

 in dreams. They had fixed upon him theories which ho altogether re- 

 pudiated. To suggest that commonly-accepted theories were insufficient 

 was quite different from advancing theories of one's own. He had not 

 hinted anything of a supernatural basis of dreams ; all he had implied 



