Wellington Philosophical Society. 497 



breaking up the Lower Wanganui series, which, if established, would have an 

 important bearing on the geology of the district. 



5. '' Notes on the Microscopic Structure of certain Igneous Rocks sub- 

 mitted by the Director of the Geological Survey of New Zealand," by 

 K. Daintree, F.G.S., Agent-General for Queensland; communicated by 

 Dr. Hector. {Transactions, p. 458.) 



Dr. Hector stated that specimens had been. sent by him to the author, who 

 was formerly Government Geologist in Australia, and was now devoting his 

 attention to this subject. The results of his examinations so far were very 

 interesting, but of a highly technical nature. 



The President remarked that this method of examining rocks was a very 

 recent and important advance in science, and he was glad to see that its 

 application to New Zealand was not overlooked. 



After the meeting many members remained to examine a large series of 

 sketches made by Mr. W. M. Cooper, illustrating the scenery of the West 

 Coast mining districts, and other parts of the colony. 



Fourth Meeting. \^th August, 1874. 

 Charles Knight, F.R.C.S., President, in the chair. 

 New members. — Frederick Bull, E. H. Bold, C.E. 



1. "Notes on Dr. Haast's supposed Pleistocene Glaciation of New 

 Zealand," by W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. {Transactions, p. 409.) 



Mr. Crawford said that, without entering on the subject of glaciation, he 

 must certainly disagree with the author in his view that the S.E. trades 

 prevailed over Australia, and thought that, by his diagram, he had stabbed his 

 own argument with a stiletto of chalk. No doubt it was right and proper 

 that the S.E. trades should blow over Australia, but unfortunately, as a matter 

 of fact, they did not. They only passed over the N.E. corner, and it was well 

 known that hot, dry winds from the N.W. were prevalent along the eastern 

 portions of Australia, at least south of Brisbane. 



Mr. J. A. "Wilson thought the extent of surface in Australia traversed by 

 the S.E. trades was greater than stated by Mr. Crawford. He agreed with 

 the author that the S.E. trades did blow on the coast of Australia, and 

 thought N.W. monsoons were due to the heated interior of the continent, a 

 view which had escaped the notice of the author of the paper. He did not 

 believe the N.W. winds of Australia reached New Zealand, and they were 

 certainly never encountered on the ocean surface that intervenes ; whether or 

 not they were in the higher regions of the atmosphere could only be deter- 

 mined by a balloon. The hot winds of Canterbury, he thought, had nothing to 



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