for the year 1865, 11 



Rawlinson, Esq., C.E., and listened to with much interest by 

 the members. 



2nd. The next was a paper entitled, " Notes on the 

 Wealden Formation of England, as in some measure illustra- 

 trated by the Physical Features of Port Phillip Bay," by 

 Thomas Harrison, Esq. 



8rd. K. L. J. Ellery, Esq., Government Astronomer, read 

 a paper " On Saxby's Weather System." The purport of 

 the paper was to show the vagueness of Mr. Saxby's generali- 

 ties, and the looseness of the so-called system in deduction, 

 and the unscientific character of his prognostications. 



21st November. A. K. Smith, Esq., C.E., read an elabo- 

 rate paper " On the Underground Drainage of Melbourne." 



This was the last paper of the session. Total, nineteen 

 papers, besides adjourned discussions. But not alone in 

 papers read before the Society have our members been 

 advancing science during the past year ; for I have to direct 

 attention to several works which far overstep the limits 

 contemplated at our meetings, and by our Transactions. 

 Still, most certainly, it belongs to an occasion like this to 

 notice them, because they advance objects which the Royal 

 Society embraces, and proceed from members actively in 

 communication with it. 



First of these is an elaborate work by the Rev. Julian E. 

 Tennison Woods, of Penola, on the Geology of Certain Parts 

 of South Australia, a work which has been received both 

 in Europe and this coutry as an important contribution to 

 geological science, and calculated to throw light upon several 

 misty points in the general geography of Australia. 



The next in order is the fine volume which has been 

 placed in my hands by its learned author, for presentation 

 this evening, on '' The Plants Indigenous to the Colony of 

 Victoria," and comprising sixty-six lithograms, described by 

 Dr. Ferd. Mueller, Ph. D., M.D., &c., one of my most illus- 



