548 Proceedings. 
Dr. Hector spoke of this voleanie rock as being chiefly important in fixing accu- 
rately some of the grades in geological sequence. The discovery had also an impor- 
tance in searching for gold and other minerals in the district. Although the Terawhiti 
District showed indirect evidence of former volcanic influences, direct evidence was 
afforded by large masses of hornblende, like the rock now exhibited from districts near 
Wellington, and the nature and origin of which they had not been able to account for 
until the discovery of this volcanic neck. Now they saw the reason, and there might be 
found other necks of old volcanic craters not far from the surface and nearer Wellington. 
Mr. Beetham said this survey near Masterton had been made at his suggestion, 
and—though Mr. McKay might not know it—they in the district had been used to speak 
of this broken hill as the “crater.” Then it was covered with bush, but now that the 
bush was mostly burnt off, the crater shape had become more distinct. Gold had formerly 
been traced in rock specimens, and in the early days he had lost some money in trying to 
work a hole for gold quartz, 
Seconp Mretinc. 4th July, 1883. 
The Hon. G. Randall Johnson, President, in the chair. 
New Members.—A. Hoby, H. Gully, W. Dawson. 
1. “ Notes on Monstrosities in Animals," by Dr. Newman. 
8 
ABSTRACT. 
The author stated that during several years of observation he had met with a number 
of rare monstrosities in man, as well as among animals. By noting all the peculiarities 
of monstrosities that came before them they might, by degrees, learn the law which 
governed them, while they would also see more distinctly their connection with the early 
history of the species in which it occurred. In the olden days monsters were looked upon 
as objects for aversion, and perhaps as occurring as a punishment from God or the gods ; 
now, however, science had shown that they were really nothing but animals, with extraor- 
dinary variations from the original species. He then proceeded to describe and classify 
the different malformations that give rise to monstrosities. In concluding his interesting 
lecture he said it was possible to obtain monstrosities in chickens by treating eggs in par- 
ticular ways. Monstrosities of the present day were losing interest, as they were now 
known to be nothing but the reappearance of a portion of the form of an ancestor. They 
were only of interest when they were of a very unusual type, when something new might 
be gathered regarding the history of the species. + 
Dr. Hector thanked Dr. Newman for the manner in which he had handled a very 
difficult subject. He, however, doubted whether it was correct to say that monsters were 
merely a reappearance of a portion of the form of an ancestor. 
2. “On the History of the Aorere River, Collingwood, since the Miocene 
times,” by S. H. Cox, F.G.S.; (see Geol. Reports, 1883). 
ABSTRACT. l 
The author showed that the various deposits in the lower portions of that river were 
due to the fact that what now formed two separate streams, which found their way to the 
West Coast, were formerly its head waters, as the débris could not have been derived from 
any portion of its present channel, 
3. Among the exhibits on the table were about two pounds of quartz, taken from 2 
point between Lowry Bay and Pencarrow Lighthouse, which Dr. Hector said had been 
tested, and found to contain gold at the rate of 607 oz. to the ton, Dr. Hector added 
