Ix PEOCEEDINGS, NOVEMBEE. 



Dr. Sandfoed pointecl out that Mount Munro was not on Clarke 

 Island, but on Barren Island. 



Mr. R. M. Johnston said this mistake had probably caused Baron 

 Mlieller to forget that he had forwarded a list of plants found along 

 the base of Mount Munro. But it was the Alpine plants that it was 

 desirable to explore, and he thought if the Baron himself would come 

 over next summer arrangements could be made for a picnic on a large 

 scale. 



PAPERS. 



1. First " List of Birds observed at Tasman Peninsula." By J. R. 

 McClymont, M.A. The list enumerated 70 species of birds observed 

 by Mr. McClymont. 



2. "The Highlands of Lake St. Clair." By Colonel W. V. Legge, 

 R.A. The paper was more descriptive than scientific, and dealt with 

 the magnificent scenery in the locality of Lake St. Clair, and the 

 desirableness of making a road to the West Coast through that locality. 

 Some interesting details of the topography of the less frequented parts 

 were given, including descriptions of several unnoted lakes to which 

 names were given by the writer. Colonel Legge strongly recommended 

 an annual expenditure on this highroad to the West Coast. 



3. " The nesting of certain Birds on the Acteon Island." By Col. 

 W. V, Legge, R A. 



4. " Observations with respect to the Nature and Classification of the 

 rocks of the Tertiary Period, more particularly relating to Tasmania." By 

 Mr. R. M. Johnston, F.L.S. He said he would not take up the time of the 

 meeting by reading the paper which would be printed, and could then 

 be better followed, but by an outline of the paper. He endeavoured to 

 show some of the difficulties connected with the classification of the 

 rocks of the Tertiary Period in Australia aiad Tasmania. Repeated 

 elevations of the sea throughout the whole period as in England do not 

 occur, and hence the local classifier is deprived of the aid of the per centage 

 method as applied by Sir Chas. Lyell in the determination of the principal 

 divisions of the European rocks of the Period v. .Eocene, Miocene, and 

 Pliocene. For these reasons Mr. Johnston proposes to divide the 

 system into two simple groups, Pcdeogene and Neogene ; the former 

 embracing all marine aud leaf -bed deposits, including the older basalts 

 and tuffs ; and the latter eiiibracing the older raised terrace drifts. He 

 also stated that during the Neogene age there is some evidence of a 

 change of climate. The drifts evidently indicate greater plurial action, 

 and although from our Alpine heights small glaciers may have descended 

 towards the plains, the latter afford no evidence of "boulder drift" 

 such as is found throughout the lower levels in Scotland. He therefore 

 is of opinion that while the combined effects of the eccentricity of the 

 earth's orbit in conjunction with recurrent periods of precession may have 

 had some assisting influence, the direct effects of these of themselves 

 were not so severe as in the Northern Hemisphere, owing to the 

 impossibility of the smaller area of southern lands being entirely shut 

 off from the warm equatorial ocean currents, as was the case in Europe 

 during the glacial epoch which reached its greatest intensity there 

 during the pleistocene period. The elevation of the land in the Southern 

 Hemisphere is probably the chief cause of local glaciation. The paper 

 Included a list of fossils tabulated and arranged, showing 357 genera 

 and 908 species. 



5. " On the geological conditions of the site of the new storage 

 reservoir near Hobart," by Mr. T. Stephens, P.G.S. The writer 

 described the situation of the fault which he had mentioned in 1877 as 

 likely to be found traversing the site of the dam of the new reservoir, 

 and remarked that, though the site had not been wisely selected in the 



