400 Proceedings. 
Тнівр МЕЕтїхө. 4th August, 1873. 
The Hon. Colonel Haultain in the chair. 
New members.—H. Brett, J. Breen, B.A., Capt. Steel, J. Watt, H. 
Allwright, C.E., E.. Waddington, M.D., G. Holdship, W. H. Kissling, R. 
Day, M.D., R. Millett, C.E, W. H. Clarke, H. Richmond, T. Kissling, 
J. Fairburn. 
The Secretary read the list of donations to the Library and Museum. 
The Secretary exhibited a specimen of damask table cloth woven from 
native-dressed Phormium, and read an extract of a letter from the Agent- 
General in England relative thereto. 
Mr. D. Hay exhibited cones of Pinus radiata and P. insignis grown in 
the vicinity of Auckland, and made a few observations on the trees which 
produced them. 
Mr. Kirk offered a few remarks on Captain Hutton’s paper on the 
Geological Structure of the Thames Gold Fields, read at the last meeting. 
Remarks were made by various members on the Analysis of Thames Water 
Supply, read at previous meeting. 
1. “On the New Zealand Forms of Cheilanthes,” by T. Kirk, F.L.S. 
(Transactions, p. 247.) 
The paper was illustrated by specimens from the Herbarium of the 
Auckland Institute. 
2. “ Remarks on Dr. Bastian's recent work on the Beginnings of Life," by 
T. Heale. 
(ABSTRACT. ) 
After giving an historical notice of the subject, the paper epitomized, at 
some length, the views maintained by Dr. Bastian as to the identity of vital 
force and ordinary physical force, and the impossibility of maintaining any 
sharp line of distinction between organic and inorganic matter ; described the 
nature of colloids, and the behaviour of crystallizable substances in viscid 
fluids, as investigated by Mr. Rainey and Mr. Lewes, which showed how very 
similar some of the products of undoubted crystallizing forces may be to some 
of these formations from organic matter which are considered to be living 
organisms. The writer observed that it would be presumption to set up 
independent opinions here on such a subject ; that we must wait till the 
“masters have spoken” ; but, as a provisional hypothesis, the view forcibly 
struck him that since there must be a point in the chain of creatures above 
which life is only produced by germs or ova, this distinction must establish so 
sharp a line of division that it may be open to doubt whether the lower one should 
be considered as living at all. He noticed a great apparent want of continuity 
