XX 



Statistical Register of the Colony of Victoria for the year 1885, Pt. 1, 

 Blue Book. — Prom the Government Statist. 



Verhandlungen der Gesellsehaft Fur Erdkunde zu Berlin, Band XIII, 

 No, 5. — From the Society. 



Victorian Naturalist, Vol. III., No. 3, July 3.— Prom the Society. 



Papers. 



1. On the Australian Pectens confounded with the New Zealand. P.. 

 laticostatus, Gray. By Professor Ralph Tate, P.G.S., P.L S. In his 

 paper Professor Tate states that though not indifferent to the opinions 

 of certain eonehologists, yet in this particular instance he considers 

 their identifications incorrect, and surmises that they have been made 

 without comparison of authentic specimens. Accompanying the paper 

 is a table of dimensions of convex or right valve of Peetens, laticostatus 

 exoptandm, albus, and fumatus. 



Lieut. Beddome stated, in reference to the Tasmanian Pecten, that Mr. 

 Brazier of Sydney had last year given the name Pecten Meridonalis, to 

 our Pecten, and therefore he (Mr. Beddome) was under the impression 

 that Mr. Brazier's name would take precedence of Professor Tate's P. 

 exopfandus. 



2. A paper entitled "Is Jupiter Self-luminous?" by Mr. A. B, Biggs, 

 was in the absence of the author, read by the assistant secretary. 

 The subject was one that the author had been paying particular 

 attention to of late. In the opening part, Mr. Biggs stated that it was 

 with some diffidence that he submitted the paper, partly because he 

 was doubtful of its being a subject of general interest. Perhaps, how- 

 ever, the fact that the question which the author had set himself to 

 solve is intimately connected with that of the physical condition of 

 Jupiter, and inferentially also of all the giant planets may lend an 

 additional interest to the subject. 



3. Mr. R. M. Johnston read the following paper entitled : — " Note 

 on the Discovery of Plant Remains in the Tertiary Marine Beds at 

 Table Cape, Tasmania. " In making excavations at Table Cape for the. 

 new breakwater, Mr. Bell, the local engineer, at my request, very 

 kindly made up a collection of the fossils which he met with, and 

 forwarded them to me. In this collection I found a number 

 of very interesting leaf impressions, associated with Turritella 

 Warburtonii, Woods, and other well-known marine forms obtained 

 from the calcareous sandstones, described by me in the proceedings 

 of the Royal Society of Tasmania for 1876 as "The Turritella Zone." 

 In one of the leaf specimens I recognised the well known 

 form Sapotacites oligoneuris, Ettingshausen, which occurs in the leaf 

 beds of the Derwent, notably at Pipe Clay Bluff and One Tree Point. 

 The importance of this discovery is very great, as it now enables us 

 to determine more accurately the relationship of the Pakeogene 

 (infra basaltic) leaf beds of Tasmania with the Tertiary marine beds 

 in South Australia. Victoria, Tasmania, and New Zealand. The 

 Turritella zone at Table Cape from whence the leaf impression were ob- 

 tained forms the uppermost series of beds of the formation at that place. 

 It is characterised chiefly by the prevalence of the shell T. Warburtonii, 

 Woods, and Panopma Afjnewi, Woods, although the common forms 

 of the lower beds are also found in abundance. In all, I 

 recognised 12 distinct species of leaves, somewhat resembling 

 forms occurring in the leaf-beds of the Derwent and Tamar basins. 

 One of the impressions is undoubtedly a species of Pteris which I 

 propose to name P. Belli, in honour of Mr. Bell, who has added several 

 novelties to the list of Tasmanian fossils. 



In addition to the specimens of leaf impressions, Mr. Bell also 

 collected a fine series of marine fossils, including corals and molluscs. 



