Welliiigton Philosophical Society. 425 



2. "On the Stone Period of South Africa," by Dr. Comrie, of H.M.S. 

 " Dido." 



The author gave an account of implements and remains belonging to the 

 stone period at the Cape of Good Hope, and specimens were laid on the table. 

 They were of two kinds : Stone flakes found in circular cooking-places : and 

 shells, and bones of animals that had been used as food, cemented into a 

 breccia, in caves 200 feet above sea-level. The author considered that neither 

 belonged necessarily to a period of great antiquity, and quoted accounts of the 

 condition of the natives at the Cape by the first European discoverers, to show 

 that their habits were such as would account for these remains, although the 

 tribes having such habits have entirely disappeared. 



The President pointed out the similarity of certain circular stone imple- 

 ments perforated with a hole, which were in Dr. Comrie's collection, to those 

 in the Colonial Museum from Denmark, and also to some still in use in North 

 Queensland, which have been presented by his Excellency Sir George Bowen. 



3. A beautiful collection of ores and products, prepared from minerals 

 obtained in the province of Nelson, was exhibited and explained by Mr. 

 Tatton. There was also on the table a fine collection of tin ores, from New 

 South Wales, presented by Mr. T. Beck. 



Fifth Meeting. 28^^ August, 1872. 

 Dr. Hector, F.E-.S., President, in the chair. 



New memher. — H. Nicholas. 



1. " On South American Geology and Topography," by J. C. Crawford, 



F.G.S. 



(abstract.) 



The author proposed to show what connection exists and has formerly 

 existed between this country and South America. He said it appeared that 

 the fossil shells of littoral character of tertiary times found in New Zealand 

 and in South America have much in common, the relationship being much 

 nearer than between New Zealand and Australia, and that the floras of the 

 former countries have also a considerable number of species common to both. 



"It is almost impossible to resist the inference that in tertiary times 

 (notwithstanding the great extent of deep sea which now separates the shores 

 of New Zealand and of South America) these countries were more intimately 

 connected, probably by land towards the antarctic circle, but at all events by 

 a considerable extension of land in that direction, with the necessary conse- 

 quence of a shallower adjacent sea, and with probably a large extension of the 



D 2 



