for the year 1865. 9 



slon in the public papers, and it appears to have furnished 

 the ideas for nearly all that has appeared in the public prints 

 on that important subject ever since. 



On the 6th June the adjourned discussion on the above 

 paper took place, and entirely precluded any other scientific 

 business. In the course of this night's discussion, Dr. 

 Crooke set forth a suggestion for the drainage of the heavy 

 floods of the Yarra, by cutting in directly at right angles to 

 the river opposite Bight's miUs, intercepting the tributary 

 known as the Merri Creek, and conducting the storm and 

 flood waters into Batman's Swamp, and so by the river into 

 Hobson's Bay. This scheme, though not objected to on the 

 score of fitness, was generally considered to involve too large 

 an outlay in the construction of the channel. 



On the 27th June the Secretary, R. L. J. EUery, Esq., 

 Astronomer to the Colony of Victoria, read a learned paper 

 " On the Recent Determination of the Sun's Distance." 



At the meeting on the 18th July, a valuable letter from 

 Dr. Ferdinand Mueller was read, treating of the Poison 

 Plant, so destructive to sheep {gastrolobiiirn grandifloTura), 

 from the neighbourhood of the Burdekin, Queensland. 



At this meeting Wheatstone's Exploder and Abel's Patent 

 Fuse were exhibited and explained by the Secretary. 



8th August. At this meeting two very interesting papers 

 were read, one by T. Harrison, Esq., entitled, '' Notes on the 

 Geology of Hobart Town," illustrated with maps and collec- 

 tions of fossils. At the close. Professor M'Coy described and 

 named the fossils exhibited. 



The other, " On the Yarra Floods and their Remedy," was 

 by Robert Adams, Esc^., and caused much interest, and the 

 discussion was adjourned. 



29th August opened with the discussion on Mr. Adam's 

 paper, "Yarra Floods and their Remedy." This was fol- 

 lowed by a learned paper from Professor Halford, " On the 



