Cvi 
European Cucumber Smelt (Osmerus), they are deposited upon and 
adhere to solid substanzes, such as submerged rocks or timber, as has - 
been suspected by some authorities. The experiment made had re- 
sultedin determining that the eggs were nson-adherent, and sunk to 
the bottom of the water immediately on exclusion. A remarkable 
feature of these eggs was their excessively small size, they not exceed- 
ing individually a millimetre in diameter, so that over 600 might be 
contained in a single even layer having the dimensions of one square 
inch. As compared with the eggs of the salmon and trout it had been 
observed that the developing embryo occupied a much larger portion of 
the cavity of the egg, the yolk sac being almost completely absorbed 
in the liberation of the young fish. There is in consequence no semi-in- 
active or ‘‘alevin” stage with this species as found in the trout and 
salmon, the fry on emergence being remarkably slender and buoyant, 
and swimming actively towards the surface of the water. A more ex- 
haustive technical paper upon the development of this species was pro- 
mised by Mr. Saville-Kent at a later date. The success he had 
obtained in the culture of the several hundred fry then in his possession 
made him altogether sanguine concerning future operations that would 
be undertaken of rearing them on an extensive scale for the re-stocking 
of our Southern rivers. 
Mr. Sprent laid on the table some copies of a geological map of 
Tasmania, prepared at the Crown Lands department. ‘The work was 
initiated at the request of the Hon. N. J. Brown, Minister of Lands 
and Works, and was intended to accompany the ‘‘Crown Lands 
Guide” issued by the department. It has frequently been repre- 
sented to the Government that] Mr. Gould’s maps and reports should 
be republished for general information, but as to do so would entail 
a great amount of unnecessary labour, it was decided to embody Mr. 
Gould’s work in a genera! map, and to incorporate therein all the most 
reliable information obtainable from other sources. Mr. Sprent, 
finding that Mr. R. M. Johnston was independently engaged upon the 
preparation of a descriptive account of the geology of Tasmania, agreed 
to join forces with that gentleman. Several gentlemen, on being con- 
sulted, agreed to give information, but a great difficulty was experi- 
enced in reconciling statements, it was determined to prepare a map 
from the materials at hand, and then distribute it amongst these 
who were likely to take an interest in adding to and correcting it. 
The map now issued does not claim to be areliable record of as- 
certained geological facts; it is put forward rather as a guide, and 
as an incentive to further work in the same direction; there being 
no complete geological survey of Tamania, it is impossible to attain 
to more than approximate accuracy. The authors therefore offer this 
map as their contribution towards a future and more elaborate work. 
It will be found to give a clear and fairly accurate delineation of the 
leading geological features of the colony as far as it is possible to 
delineate them upon a map of small scale. 
Mr. Johnston is now engaged upon the letterpress portion of the 
work, but as it is necessarily a work of his spare hours it will not be 
ready for some months yet. 
In the meantime Mr. Johnston and Mr. Sprent will be grateful 
to any gentlemen who will furnish them with information that may 
be made available for another edition of the map. 
Mr. E. D. Swan exhibited an albatross’ egg Diomeda exulans. This 
egg was collected during the cruise of the Erebus and Terror at 
Campbell Island, lat. 52deg. 33min. S., long. 169deg. 9min. E., in the 
year 1840; weight, 17j0z. 
The Curator drew attention to a beautiful mounted specimen of a 
copper-headed snake of Victoria. This specimen had been captured by 
