RESEAECH COMMITTEES. 533 



involved, the work is not yet complete ; the Committee conse- 

 quently beg to be reappointed. 



The working strength of the Committee has been increased 

 by the inclusion of Captain Inglis, of Port Adelaide. 



The title of the Committee has been slightly altered, as, 

 owing to a misunderstanding, we were appointed as a Com- 

 mittee on the Tides of Australia, whereas our particular work 

 applies only to South Australia. 



Be2)ort of the Committee, consisting of Mr. H. Y. L. Beow'n, 

 Sir J. Hectok, Mr. E. L. Jack, " Mr. E. A. F. Murray, 

 Mr. C. S. Wilkinson, Mr. Woodward, and Professor 

 Hutton [Secretary), appointed to report iipon the Uni- 

 fication of Colours and Signs of Geological Maps. 



In consequence of the impossibility of the members of the 

 Connnittee meeting together, the only way in which a report 

 could be made was for the Secretary to write to the other 

 members, and ask for their opinions. This was done ; and 

 replies were received as follow : — 



Victoria. 



Mr. E. A. F. Murray says that he finds that, as regards the 

 ■colours of small-scale maps of large areas, there is very little 

 discrepancy between those used respectively in Victoria, New 

 South Wales, South Australia, and Queensland. So that for 

 the main rock-groups — i.e., granite, Silurians, Devonians, 

 .&c. • — a general accordance is already noticeable, and no 

 difficulty ought to be experienced in eliminating the few dis- 

 crepancies which exist. With respect to large-scale maps 

 unification of the colours used would be more difficult, 

 especially in the case of minor subdivisions. But for well- 

 marked formations, common to all or most of the Australian 

 Colonies, it would be easy to agi'ee on distinguishing colours 

 to be used for them throughout, and to avoid the use of any of 

 those colours to represent formations occurring in only one or 

 two colonies. Thus, assuming twenty different formations — 

 requiring as many colours— to exist in the colonies A, B, C, 

 and D, ten might be common to all, five might be confined to 

 A, B, and C, three to A and B, and two to A. The first ten 

 colours could be agreed on by the four colonies ; the five by 

 the three colonies, &c. As to signs, there appears to be no 

 difficulty in achieving a uniform code for the whole of the 

 Australasian Colonies. But, on the other hand, if a uniform 



