24 



9. From Mr. F. J. Salicr— A War Canoe, from the Solomon's Island 



(^iroup, South Pacilic. 



10. From Mrs. Willett — A small Snake, and a young Viper from the 

 Cape of (iood Hope. 



The SEtKETAKY callcfl attention to a specimen of iron smelted from 

 Tasmanian ore, which liad just been received through The Mercury office. 



The Kev. JI, T). Atkixson brought under notice two shells which he 

 thought were new, and which he obtained by dredging near Partridge 

 Island, at a depth of thirty-live fathoms. One is a Modlola, and the other, 

 Mr. Legrand thought, was a Diplodonta, each being a new species. 

 Mr. Atkinson hojjes to obtain other specimens of these shells for pre- 

 sentation to the Museum. 



Dr. Agnew exhibited an apple, from the Cascadea garden ; a portion 

 of which was covered with a growth that on a cursory view appeared 

 to be a species of blight. Under the microscope this was seen to con- 

 sist of a series of very line lilamentous stems each supporting a small 

 sac which was the receptacle of an ovum. (On tlie tahle were tioo 

 microscopes exhihUin{i the object.) 



Mr. M. Allpokt stated that the ovum was that of a small green fly, 

 with a veiy brdliant eye. Mr. Swan had noticed the same deposit of 

 ova on the leaves of the Bay and other shrubs. 



ISIr. Gould called the attention of the society to some specimens of 

 two rocks, somewhat unusual in the island, porphyries from the neigh- 

 bourhood of the Black Bluff Mountain, near the Middlesex Plains ; one 

 variety consisted of felspar porphyry, characterized by small crystals 

 of pink orthoclase felspar, and of glassy felspar ; the other is a quartz 

 poqDhyry, and both differ materially from the felspar porphyry occurrmg 

 in the neighbourhood of Port Cygnet, and also as elicited by recent 

 observations of the Rev, H. D. Atkinson, at Oyster Cove. He also referred 

 to some large specimens of Iron Pyrites, taken from a vein in the 

 neighbourhood of the Leven, exliibiting crystallisations in the form of 

 the pentagonal dodecahedron, which he remarked had been exploited 

 by him to some extent in the hope of discovery of underlying ores of 

 copper. The pyrites had been tested for gold, which it was not found 

 to contain. 



The Bishop speaking in reference to the specimen of smelted iron upon 

 the table adverted to the immense advantage likely to accrue to the 

 country if the ores stated to be so abundant could be profitably worked, 

 and asked Mr. Gould whether he had any acquaintance with the 

 Ilfracombe district. 



Mr. Gould stated that he had carefully examined the district, and 

 made a very full report upon it some years ago, and that it was in con- 

 sequence, as he understood, of that report having attracted the attention 

 of Mr. Lennard that tliis gentleman had come over for the purpose of 

 inspectLQg the locality and ascertaining the correctness or otherwise of 

 the statements contained in it. He understood that Mr. Lennard was 

 a gentleman of practical experience in the smelting of iron ores ; and 

 that his opinion of the quantity easily available was so favourable that 

 he had induced a Melbourne capitalist to subsequently visit the district, 

 who had been equally satisfied vnth. the abundance of material, and had 

 assured Mr. Gould that on his return to Victoria he should initiate 

 steps for the employment of capital in the reduction of the ores and 

 manufacture of iron in this colony. Mr. Gould considered that although 

 some years since the prices of iron hardly permitted its profitable pro- 

 duction ia this colony, the present great increase in its value rendered 

 ■worthy of very serious consideration, the question of the possibility of 

 the production at a profitable rate of malleable iron by a direct process 



