PROCEEDINGS, OCTOBER. XXvii 



gent farmer that oysters were formerly abundant in Ralph's Bay, but 

 that in the year 1834 they had without any cause disappeared. In 

 the " Transactions of the Maryland Academy," Vol. 1, Pc. 1, p. 28, 

 there is an account by Mr. Ducatel of vast beds of oysters and clams 

 having been destroyed by the gradual filling up of the shallow lagoons 

 and channels on the shores of the United States. Darwin, when visiting 

 N^w Zealand, says be observed in the neighbourhood of the Bay of 

 Islands, that the shores were scattered to some height, as at Van 

 Diemen's Land, with sea shells which the colonists attributed to the 

 natives. He (himself) was of opinion that the land had been elevated. 

 The bone Mr. Taylor had been fortunate to obtain from the shell de- 

 posits clearly showed that it had been made by the natives, and was 

 a most valuable relic. 



Mr. A. J. Ogilvy drew attention to some caves at Rocky Mouth that 

 he had visited, and had been dwelling places of natives. On examina- 

 tion he felt sure many interesting relics might be found. 



Mr. Taylor, in reply, said he felt very pleased at the great interest 

 his paper had caused, and promised to lay before the Society any 

 further information he might ob ain, and also he would be pleased to 

 present to the Museu n any specimens he might have in duplicate. 



Mr. W. A. Weymouth exhibited a magnificent collection of Tas- 

 manian mosses collected and mounted by him. The collection consisted 

 of many species, Mr. Weymouth kindly promising to present a mounted 

 set to the Museum. 



Capt. Shortt, R.N., also exhibited a choice collection of photo- 

 graphs of the '* milky way and nubecutce," taken at the Sydney 

 Observatory, 1890. 



THE EARTH'S CRUST. 



Mr. R. M. Johnston, F.L.S., read a paper entitled "Observation 

 on the Causes of Elevation and Subsidence of the Earth's Crust." He 

 referred to the difficulties of dealing with a subject which necessarily 

 rests so largely on arbitrary values for unknown data, and s'ated that as 

 this was so it was obvious that any view he might tend to favour 

 must in his own mind be attended with a large measure of doubt, 

 and on some obscure points his judgment must be suspended entirely. 

 As a novel theory, however, has recently been referred to by Mr. 

 F. Danvers-Power relating to the elevation of mountain chains, he 

 entered more fully into the consideration of those hypotheses of causa- 

 tion which have gained the most favour among physicists and geologists. 

 He divided his paper under the following heads : — Formation of con- 

 tinental areas aBd ocean basins ; contraction theory ; the alleged 

 expansion and contraction of the underlayers resulting from a rise 

 or fall of temperature caused by the loading or unloading of the areas 

 affeeted ; expansion and contraction of the undei layers resulting from a 

 rise or fall of temperature ; Mr. Danvers-Power's reference to the 

 supposed influence of the pressure of ocean waters upon the forma- 

 tion of parallel mountain chains; and concluded with the thought 

 that good reasons had been given for rejecting the theory put 

 forward by Mr. Danvers-Power. 



His Excellency, in moving a vote of thanks to the authors of the 

 papers, Messrs. Johnston and Taylor, said that although Mr. Ward 

 had spok-n strongly against the views expressed by Mr. Danvers-Power, 

 in a paper contributed by that gentleman at a former meeting, the 

 fact of having Mr. Power's paper had been the means of causing Mr. 

 Johnston to read a most valuable paper. With regards to Mr. Taylor's 

 paper he was of opinion that that gentleman deserved the thanks of the 

 Society for the very valuable information he had obtained. 



The meeting then closed. 



NOVEMBER— No Meeting. 



