produce marks of this nature. Tho theory had been put for- 

 ward that the poles were continually altering their positioiis, 

 and that at one time the South Pole was in the neighbourhood 

 of where Sydney now stood. The fact that traces of a very 

 ancient ice-age "could be found in Australia was not known 

 when the theory was formed, but the jireseut discovery was a 

 very curious confirmation of it. Whether the theory was true 

 or not, geologists had greatly altered their views of late as to 

 climatic conditions in ancient times. The traces of the ancient 

 ice-age in South Australia extended from South Adelaide to 

 Hergott Springs, and liad a thickness of 1,."('0 feet. 



Dr. Noetling also exhibited a very curious specimen, in 

 which the cast of a fossd brachiopod shell hatl been replaced by 

 gypsum. 



NOVEMBER 14th 



The ordinary monthly meeting of the Royal Society of 

 Tasmania was held at the Museum last night. The chair was 

 occupied by the President (His Excellency Sir Harry Barron). 



Messrs. W. T, McCoy, B.A., and A. C. Stephens, B.A., 

 were elected Fellows of the Society. 



Application was made by the Field Naturalists' Club for 

 the use of a room at the Museum. Several members were 

 not in favour of rescinding the rule relating to the letting of 

 rooms, which, it was said, would be necessary before the per- 

 mission could be granted. Some discussion took place on this 

 question. Ultimately it was postponed, on the ground that 

 no proper notice had been given of an intention to discuss the 

 mattei". 



Dr. Fritz Noetling read a paper on "Gigantic Marsupials 

 in Tasmania." He contended that until quite recently Tas- 

 mania was connected with the mainland, and that there was a 

 relation between fossil marsupials found in Tasmania and those 

 lately unearthed in Queensland. Existing species of mollusca 

 specimens, obtainable at the present time, bearing relation 

 to the gigantic marsupial which is now extinct, showed that 

 the latter were creatures of recent ages. 



Mr. Thomas Stephens agreed generally with Dr. Noetling's 

 views; his theory was ingenious, and probably correct. Hio 

 hoped that the construction of the Stanley-Balfour railway, 

 which was now going on, would, through the agency of the 

 deep cuttings to be made, give a lot of information concerning 

 the geology of the North-West Coast. 



Professor T. T. Flynn was to lecture on the "Anatomy of 

 Petanrus soinreus." He had been al)le to secure an animal 

 from IVIrs. Roberts, of Beaumaris, and made an examination. 

 The result was purely of a scientific nature, and ii.< it referred 

 only to the anatomy of the animal, would not be very in 

 teres ting. 



A paper entitled "Notes on Duterran's Reconciliation Pic 

 ture" was read by Dr. Noetling, who said that nobody knev»f 



