548 Proceedings. 



Dr. Hector spoke of this volcanic 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. 



Second Meeting. 4th July, 1883. 

 The Hon. G. Bandall Johnson, President, in the chair. 

 New Members. — A. Hohy, H. Gully, W. Dawson. 



1. " Notes on Monstrosities in Animals," by Dr. Newman. 



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 Eiver, Collingwood, since the Miocene 

 times," by S. H. Cox, F.G.S. ; (see Geol. Eeports, 1883). 



ABSTRACT. 



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 debris 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 a 

 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 



