234 



Mr. Todd said it would be of great value to the country. 



Mr. T. Parker, C.E., referred to the assertion that the water 

 in some of the rivers was said to be unfit for irrigation owing to 

 the presence of saline matter. He had known land to thrive after 

 this water had been on it, and he wondered wiiether the saline 

 matter had not manuring properties. The Society might properly 

 investigate the question. 



Professor Rexnie said that in certain cases it was difficult to 

 say positively that water was unfit for irrigation unless an actual 

 trial proved it to be so. 



Mr. Todd mentioned that around the mountain springs at Her- 

 gott and Strangways the country was very destitute. On the 

 other hand, the country around the artesian bore at Strangways 

 was in better condition. 



Mr. Tepper said the use of saline water was more successful 

 on sloping ground, where the saline matter would not remain. 



The following papers were presented : — By the Rev. T. Black- 

 burn, " On Australian Coleoptera, with descriptions and new 

 species ;" by Prosessor R. Tate, F.G-.S., " Gastropods of the Older 

 Tertiary of Australia, Part II.," " Additions to the Lamelli- 

 branchiata of South Australia," " Additions to the Flora of Port 

 Lincoln," "Plants of the Lake Eyre Basin," " Definitions of New 

 Species of Plants," " A Census of the Molluscan Fauna of Aus- 

 tralia," " Description of new Genera and Species of Australian 

 Mollusca;" and by Mr. W. Howchin, F.G.S., " On the Occurence 

 of Coal Drift on the Murray Flats." 



