156 Proceedings. 



in it fragments of coarsely mineralised wood and casts of shells, and 

 overlaid by massive beds of schistose clay and a yellowish-white 

 sandstone, all dlppinp^ to south-east at an angle of about 14°; the 

 clayey sandstone underneath being apparently identical with that 

 which underlies the carboniferous rocks at Southport. 



Mr. Milligan placed before the meeting fossil forms composed of 

 Iron Pyrites, — oblong, pyriform, and tuberous, with numerous deep 

 depressions (like the eyes in a ■potato, to which the tuber-like form bears 

 a strong similitude) ; they may prove to be coprolites : they occur in 

 great numbers in the semi-hard, compact, massive, and stratified clay- 

 beds constituting Satellite Island, in D'Entrecasteaux Channel. 



The bituminous coal of Break-o'-day, and the practicability of ship- 

 ping it from George's River or Falmouth, fell under discussion. 



Sir W- Denison reported some successful experiments made by Dr. 

 Motherwell, with lime and clay from the coal-beds at Port Arthur, in 

 order to obtain a cheap hydraulic cement for ordinary purposes. 



Specimens from the clay-beds which alternate with sandstone, and 

 dip under the greenstone hill in the Domain near Carnelian Bay, 

 and in which have been found very distinct impressions of leaves of 

 an exogenous plant, were placed before the meeting by the Secretary. 

 The clay is white, very pure and equal in composition, and when 

 burned forms pottery-ware of a light cream-yellow colour: the sand- 

 stone associated with it yields fragments of opalised wood. 



11th October, 1848. — The monthly evening meeting; Capt. 

 Stanley, R.E., in the chair. 



The following gentlemen elected Fellows : — 



Dr. Dawson, Dep.-Insp-Gcn. of Hospitals, &c. 

 John Hiddlestone, and 



i-» • 1 c .4 f 1 Hobart Town. 



Daniel Sutton, Esqs. J 



Nine volumes of books were presented by Mr. H. Hull ; also a 

 sample of a very fine close-grained white timber, considered by him 

 suitable for wood-engraving purposes, obtained in a defile of Mount 

 Wellington. It seems to be the young wood of Pittosporum bicolor, 

 formerly in high estimation amongst the Aborigines of Tasmania, on 

 account of its combined qualities of density, hardness, and tenacity* 

 as the most suitable material of which to make their warlike imple- 

 ment the waddie. The tree at full growth, and in situations the most 

 favourable, rarely exceeds 10 or 1'2 inches in diameter, though it is 

 said to have attained to 18 inches. 



