AUGUST. 



The usual monthly meeting was held on Tuesday, August 10th, 

 Mr. T. Stephens, M.A., F.G.S., Vice-President, in the chair. 



The Secretary (Mr. Morton) read apologies from Sir James Agnew 

 Colonel Legge, and Messrs. James Barnard and A. G. Webster. 



ORIGINAL RESEARCHES. 



The Secretary read a communication from the Royal Society, New 

 South Wales, offering its medal and £25 for the best communication 

 containing results of original research or observations upon scientific 

 subjects, to be sent in by May 1, 1896, and May 1, 1897. 



TIMBER "FOUND BENEATH ALLUVIAL DRIFT. 



The Secretary read a paper by Colonel Legge, R.A., on " Timber 

 found beneath Alluvial I)rift at Swansea," abridged as follows : — 

 Driving from Bicheno to Swansea travellers crossing the Lyne Sugar 

 Loaf Range come suddenly in view of the large level tract of country 

 lying south of the hills stretching from Cranbrook towards the ranges 

 bounding St. Paul Valley on the east. This tract is mainly formed 

 by the coast range, from St. Patrick Head to Bioheno, suddenly 

 swerving inland at the latter place, and joining the highlands east of 

 St. Paul, lying some distance from the East Coast. About Swansea 

 the ranges approach the coast again, following the shore southwards. 

 The country thus hemmed in is alluvial, forming what may be styled 

 the basin of the Swan River, the Cygnet, and the Wye. On existing 

 maps these mountain features scarcely appear. The surface of this 

 basin is mostly level, with occasional gentle rises of about 100ft, 

 The soil is chiefly dark chocolate, apparently the result of denudation 

 and drift from, the extensive valleys on the highlands at the back. 

 On the Cambria estate, lying mainly at the foot of the " Lookout," 

 locally the soil is rich and deep ; and on that portion between the 

 main road and Oyster Bay is an extensive lagoon, which seems in 

 former times to have joined the Meredith River by an extinct water- 

 course, visible in the form of a sinuous depression, on the course of 

 which a deep dyke has recently been cut by Mr. Meredith to drain 

 the lagoon. In its shallowest part this ditch attains a maximum 

 depth of about 12ft., and it was at the bottom the log was found 

 across the drain. The wood is almost black, like Irish " bog oak," 

 resembling ebony in texture. When cutting the sawdust was very 

 fine. Prom its appearance the wood is probably one of the eucalyptus ; 

 if so it throws an interesting light on the antiquity of this genus, as its 

 must have been buried many thousands of years. Where the log was 

 met with, the first 3ft. or 4ft. consisted of chocolate soil, merging into 

 a yellowish clay loam, deepening again about 10ft. into peaty substance. 

 Further up the dyke a thick bed of shingle, intermingled with stones 

 of rounded form about as large as a mouse's head, took the place of 

 clay. This was probably the bed, while the bottom, where the log 

 was found, was no doubt muddy. Towards the lagoon the material 

 excavated is dark peaty soil, continued to the edge of the necross. 

 Prom the whole appearance of the surrounding land the alluvial deposit; 

 is one of great age, rendering the discovery of great interest, not only 

 on account of its antiquity, but in connection with the capability of 

 the particular species of tree to withstand decay throughout such a 

 lengthened period. 



Mr. R, M. Johnston said he had examined the wood superficially ; h© 

 would not, however, be prepared to say what it was unless by a. 

 microscopic examination. It was a highly lignified specimen, and he 

 had met with Bimilar woods on the West Coast. Woods of this kind 

 commonly occur in drifts in other parts of the colony. 



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