servations. The excessive humidity of our climate on the 

 West Coast has not, I think, been done justice to. It is stated 

 that the rainfall at Macquarie Harbour exceeds lOOin.* It 

 averaged 67in. on the Hampshire Hills, 1837-9,t and in one 

 year exceeded 80in. How much of this is due to the vast 

 forests which still clothe that region, covering 5000 or 6000 

 square miles, and how much to 2)ermanent jDhysical conditions, 

 cannot now be guessed, but it is of considerable importance 

 to ascertain the facts before any material change is effected 

 in the aspect of the country by settlement. With regard to 

 these instruments which only require attention once a day, 

 such as registering thermometers and rain-gauges, I cannot 

 imagine that there would be any difficulty in multii^lying 

 them. In some colonies, as, for example, Canada, use is made 

 of the masters of the common schools, who are highly intelli- 

 gent men, very stationary, and can all be instructed ; and I 

 am disposed to recommend, as a beginning, the provision of 

 instruments for instructional purposes at the Central School. 

 Attention was pointedly called, as you are aware, at the Inter- 

 colonial Meteorological Conference, held at Sydney in 

 November, 1879, to the importance of this colony in relation 

 to weather telegrams. I have reason to believe that we shall 

 shortly be invited to take part in a general plan of inter- 

 colonial observation, receiving and interchanging them, and 

 otherwise contributing our share to a species of Australian 

 confederation, which can alarm no susceptibilities and arouse 

 no jealousies. 



Gentlemen, I feel that I have taken up a great deal of your 

 time, and have said very little ; I have only now to thank you 

 for the kindness and attention with which you have listened 

 to me. 



NOTES SHOWING THAT THE ESTUARY OF THE 

 DERWENT WAS OCCUPIED BY A FRESH- WATER 

 LAKE DURING THE TERTIARY PERIOD. 



By R. M. Johnston, F.L.S., etc. 



[Bead 12th April, 1881.] 



Apart from the circumstance that the extensive tertiary 

 fluviatile and lacustrine formations of Australia have been the 

 principal sources from which we have derived our rich 

 treasures of gold and tin in the free state, their study from a 

 naturalist's point of view is also peculiarly interesting from 

 the nearness of their deposition to our own time. 



* " Wallace," p. 244. t " Backhouse," p. 126. 



