paper, illustrated by coloured diagrams and a map, entitled ''Notes 

 showing that the existing Estuary of the Derwent was occupied by a 

 Fresh-water Lake during the Tertiary Period." 



The Presidknt having invited an expression of opinion on the subject 

 of Mr. Johnston's paper, Mr. Stephens said that if there appeared to be 

 any hesitation on the part of members present in volunteering remarks, 

 it was not caused by any want of appreciation of the admirable paper 

 which had just been read, but rather by the evident impossibility of pro- 

 perly discussing the numerous questions of interest which had been 

 brought forward. The formation so fully described by the author of the 

 paper had frequently been brought under the notice of the Fellows in 

 former years, and, among others by one whose presence at their meetings 

 would long be missed, the late Mr. Morton Allport, who was intimately 

 acquainted Math the surrounding district ; but these had been chiefly 

 conversational discussions, of which no record had been preserved, and 

 the Society was greatly indebted to Mr. Johnston for having presented 

 in a concrete form so much interesting matter for future study and con- 

 sideration. He (Mr. Stephens) was inclined to regard the tertiary 

 deposits in the lower part of the Derwent basin rather as of estuariue 

 and fluviatile origin, with land springs, which he thought were the chief 

 agents in the formation of the beds of travertin at Risdon, and in the 

 suburbs of Hobart, and by the process which is still going on in 

 the formation of similar deposits in various parts of the island. 

 Of the existence of a series of lakes in past times, far up the 

 valley of the Derwent, which had been successively drained by erosion, 

 and had exposed the remains of tertiary beds in the ancient valleys, 

 there could be no doubt. These lakes indeed belonged to a later age, 

 but there was nothing at present known which could invalidate the 

 general conclusion so carefully stated by Mr. Johnston. 



A vote of thanks to His Excellency for his opening address, and to 

 the authors of the papers read, as well as to the various contributors to 

 the Museum, closed the proceedings of the meeting. 



MAY, 1881. 



The monthly evening meeting of the Society was held on Tuesday, the 

 10th May, Mr. Justin Browne in the chair. 



Mr. Baknard (Hon. Sec.) laid on the table the usual returns for the 

 past month, viz. : — 



1. Number of Visitors to Museum, on Sundays 356; on week days 685 ; 



total, 1,041. 



2. Ditto to Gardens, 4,385. 



3. Books and Periodicals received. 



4. Presentations to Museum. 



5. Time of leafing, flowering, and fruiting of a few Standard Plants in 



the Botanic Gardens during April : — 

 12th. Common Elm, leaves commencing to fall. 

 14th. Coe's late red Plum ripe. 



15th. Chinese Chrysanthemums commencing to flower. 

 24th. Mountain Ash leaves commencing to fall. 

 28th. Seeds of Hornbeam ripe. 

 30th. Black Mulberry leaves falling. 



6. Meteorological Returns. — From the Marine Board, tables for April, 



from Bruni Island, Swan Island, and Moimt Nelson ; Goose Island 



fur Febi-uary and March. 

 The presentations to the Museum and Library were as follows : — 

 1. From Mr. A. Wilkins, Hobart. An albino variety of the Brush 



Kangaroo ( Halmaturus Bennetiil), from Spring Bay. 



