president's address — SECTION B. 103 



For quick-firing guns and masked batteries the advantage is 

 obvious, and it is not too much to say that their full effect is 

 undeveloped without it ; but for the ordinary rifle in the hands 

 of a soldier the advantage is not so clearly apparent. The firing 

 of blank cartridges at a review can hardly be considered a satis- 

 factory test, nor does it afford sufficient experience to enable a 

 complete answer to be given to this question. It is, however, 

 certain that the general adoption of smokeless powder will change 

 both the strategy and tactics of war. 



Section C. 

 GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY. 



Address* by ihe President Sir James Hector, K.CM.G., i\/I.D., 

 F.R.S.. on " The Progress of Geology in tfie Southern 

 Hemisphere during the past Year." 



* The manuscript of this address was not forwarded in time to be inserted here. II 

 received before the volume is completed, it will be found in an appendix. 



