Wellington Philosophical Society. 585 
The President considered that it would be better to postpone the discussion. From 
what he gathered the paper went to show that the accumulation of wealth, unless 
employed in doing good to all classes of the community, was misapplied 
6. “On Hymenophyllum villosum, Colenso,” by T. Kirk, F.L.S. 
(Transactions, p. 395.) 
7. * Notice of the Occurrence of a Variety of Zostera nana, Roth, in 
New Zealand," by T. Kirk, F.L.S. (Transactions, p. 992.) 
8. *On the Naturalized Plants of Port Nicholson and the Adjacent 
District," by T. Kirk, F.L.8. (Transactions, p. 362.) 
Dr. Hector remarked that in Sydney and Victoria the variegated thistle is cultivated 
for feeding stock, where grass is scarce. 
The following papers were taken as read :— 
9. “On the Belemnites found in New Zealand," by James Hector, 
C.M.G., M.D., F.R.S. (Transactions, p. 484.) 
10. ** On the Mercurial Springs of the Bay of Islands," by Dr. Hector, 
Director of the Geological Survey. 
ABSTRACT. 
The author gives the result of a re-examination of the district in 1874, and 
contends that the brown decomposing sandstone, with lignite and carbonized vegetation 
mentioned by Capt. Hutton as continet. = Mcr is mone * is only a local 
tufaceous deposit formed by the springs, wl t t grains 
of silica coloured with iron. Ananalysis of water from lio tipi made in 1869+ shows 
that they are strongly acid and free from the soluble silica that forms the cement of the 
deposits at Rotomahana. 
The springs escape round the terminal end of a floe of grey scoriaceous lava that has 
been ejected from a cone on the south shore of the Omapori Lake. This lava is quite 
superficial, and rests on the denuded surface of indurated marlstones belonging probably 
to the cretaceous series. Several streams take their rise from springs in the locality, and 
there is a chain of lakes which, from their position and relative level, are like the streams 
supplied by underground leakage from the itd the level of the Omapori Lake being 748 
feet, and that of the springs 630 feet above the s 
The author considers that the thermal and ei icu qualities of the springs are not 
due to any active voleanie influence, but to chemieal decomposition which is taking 
place in the under part of the lava floe, through which the waters are infiltrated. 
11. On eertain of the Mineral Waters of New Zealand," by William 
Skey, Analyst to the Geological Survey Department. (Trans., p. 423.) 
12. * On the Result of an Examination of certain of our Manganese 
Ores for Cobalt," by William Skey. (Transactions, p. 448.) 
18. “ On the Solubility of Calcic Carbonate in Solutions of the Alkaline 
Chlorides," by William Skey. (Transactions, p. 449.) 
* Trans. N.Z. Inst., IIL, 252. + Ante, p. 425. 
s 
