538 BEPOET— 1891. 



ever, I rely on the index and symbols to make my meaning 

 sufficiently clear." 



Conclusions. 



In New South Wales the following main divisions, or for- 

 mations, have been adopted, but the colours assigned to them 

 have not yet been published : Tertiary, Cretaceous, Triassic, 

 Permo-carboniferous, Carboniferous, Devonian, Silurian, Cam- 

 brian. Each of these formations is divided into series, to most 

 of which local geographical names have been given. 



In New Zealand, also, the formations — which, however, do 

 not correspond with those of New South Wales— are broken 

 up into series, to which usually local geographical names are 

 attached ; but sometimes the names are lithological. 



In Victoria the formations are divided into series or beds, 

 which usually have lithological names, but in a few cases they 

 are geographical. 



It seems, therefore, that if thought advisable the colours of 

 geological maps in Australasia might be made uniform for small- 

 scale maps, provided there was a uniformity in the divisions into 

 which the rocks are grouped, the only great difficulty in the 

 way being that of expense. But, before any unification in 

 colours can be attempted, it is necessary that there should be 

 a general agreement as to the nomenclature of the divisions to 

 be adopted ; and at present very little has been done towards 

 working out the equivalent formations of the different Austral- 

 asian Colonies. This is especially the case with New Zealand, 

 the Mesozoic and Palaeozoic fossils of which have not yet been 

 described, or compared with those of Australia. 



If the colours were made uniform, there would be no diffi- 

 culty at all in attaining uniformity in the signs, by which is 

 meant the lettering or symbols of the divisions on the map. 



All geologists will agree as to the desirability of having 

 uniformity if it be possible ; and the first step towards attain- 

 ing so desirable an end appears to be the establishment of a 

 palseontological department for the whole of Australasia, 

 where the fossils from all the colonies could be compared and 

 identified. 



Report of the Comviittee, consisting of Mr. C. W. de Vis, Pro- 

 fessor HuTTON, Professor McCoy, Mr. A. Mokton, Dr. 

 Eamsay, Dr. Stirling, Professor Thomas, and Professor 

 Paeker {Secretary), appointed to consider and report upon 

 the Imjjrovenient of Museums as a Means of Popular 

 Instruction. 

 The Committee have the honour to recommend that they be 

 reappointed, with the addition of the following names : 



