544 Proceedings. 



emitting of the two — sufBcient time to allow water to percolate through- 

 the first deposit. Then another molten mass flowed over the top of it. 

 At Oamaru the volcanic development was very peculiar, because there 

 was every evidence there of a submarine eruption occurring at a con- 

 siderable depth below the ocean's surface. This was in the Miocene 

 period. At the end of the Miocene and at the beginning of the Pliocene- 

 ])eriod volcanic action entirely ceased in New Zealand, and had not had 

 any effect on the South Island since. Ruapehu, Egmont, Nga ruhoe, and 

 other mountains were the result of activity that took place probably be- 

 fore the middle of the Pliocene period. Touching on theoretical matters, 

 Dr. Marshall made some interesting remarks on the connection between 

 volcanic action and earthquakes. The eruption of Tarawera was one of 

 the most violent eruptions that had taken place in New Zealand or in 

 historical times. The explosions of steam were very violent, and yet the 

 earthquakes were not felt to such a great distance. Auckland was not 

 greatly disturbed, and at Wanganui, Napier, and Gisborne they were 

 hardly felt. Evidently there was no connection whatever between the 

 violent earthquakes and volcanic actionr At any rate, volcanic action 

 did not generate earthquakes of great violence. If it were the case that 

 volcanic eruptions were associated with great earthquakes, what parts of 

 New Zealand would be subject to most disturbance ? Surely, Auckland 

 and Napier would be : and yet it was found that it was Wellington — the 

 neighbourhood of Cook Strait — that was most liable to earthqua' e disturb- 

 ance. Parts of the South Island that were of volcanic origin, such as- 

 Dunedin, were particularly free from earthquakes, and those places that 

 were situated far from volcanic action were subject to disturbance. Re- 

 ferring to the possible continuance of volcanic action in New Zealand, 

 the speaker said that all he could state on this matter was of a negative 

 nature. The geologists were still infants in regard to their knowledge of 

 the main causes of volcanic action. They did not know the exact con- 

 ditions that determined the outbreak of volcanic activity in any area. 

 It could not be said with safety that volcanic action had died out any- 

 where. It was supposed that the activity of Vesuvius had ceased at the 

 beginning of the Cliristian era, but recent events had shown it had con- 

 tinued there till the present day. 



On the motion of Dr. Hoc ken, the President was heartily thanked for 

 his most interesting and instructive address. 



Second Meeting : \2th June, 1906. 

 The President, Dr. Marshal], in the chair. 

 New Members.— Hho Rev. Edgar Ward, Messrs. W. G.. 

 Grave, F. S. Oliver, H. B. Williams. 



Exhibits. — Dr. Scott showed casts of carvings on bone, horn, 

 &c., by prehistoric men, found in caves in the South of France. 



The specimens showed that the men were fairly well advanced in 

 L'ivilisation. It was rather curious to know that in all the collections 

 of prehistoric carving the vegetable kingdom was very slightly represented. 

 The "artist" devoted his attention to the animals. There were horses, 

 mammoths, wolves, reindeers, and some animals it was difficult to identify, 

 but few representations of flowers or trees. 



;. Mr. G. M. Thomson referred to the occurrence in enormous 

 mimbers of the interesting curaacean crustacean Biastylis. 



