Otago Institute. 481 



It Is a very well known fact that we can only get crosses or hybrids 

 between closely allied species, and when produced they are sterile. The wide 

 difference between the feline and the marsupial races forbids us to expect a 

 cross or hybrid. The domestic cat crosses readily with various wild species, 

 and it would appear that the character of the domestic breeds has at least in 

 some cases been thus affected. 



The author described the varieties and peculiarities of cats as mentioned 

 by several writers, sufficient in his opinion to account for the appearance of 

 this specimen, without supposing that it is a cross between the cat and 

 opossum. He believed it to be only a cat. 



2. " On Recent Additions to the Museum," by A. C. Purdie. 



The author described several species of Mammalia which have been 

 recently presented to the Museum. These included the lynx and lemming from 

 Norway, musk-deer from Java, and some well known Australian marsupials. 



3. "On the Work of the Past Year in Astronomy and Celestial Physics," 

 by J. S. Webb. (See Appendix, p. 1.) 



4. M. Villaine, inventor of a special design for a submarine boat, intended 

 to be employed in gold-mining under water, was present by invitation, and on 

 his behalf Mr. Nuttall explained the design. 



It was represented that an iron boat on this principle, 26ft. long by 7ft. in 

 diameter, is capable of containing three men at work for six hours at the 

 bottom, without communicating at the surface. Provision is made for propel- 

 ling the boat under water. The interior of the boat is divided into compart- 

 ments, namely, a ballast chamber, a place for working in, airtight compart- 

 ments containing air compressed to six atmospheres, and a space into which 

 water is admitted to sink the boat, the water being afterwards used to wash 

 the metallic ore, there being a sluice 30ft. long in the boat. There is also an 

 open space for allowing communication between the two ends of the vessel, 

 and there are pipes and cocks for regulating the air, and chemical means are 

 taken for renovating it. Provision is made for those inside to move the boat 

 ahead or astern on the bottom, for maintaining the equilibrium of the boat, 

 and for fixing it upon an angle of 45° or oO° if required. The mode of 

 working it is as follows : — The boat being brought to the scene of opera- 

 tions, those intending to descend get into her through a man-hole. When 

 a sufficient quantity of air has been accumulated in the reservoirs, the 

 man-hole and air-funnels are hermetically closed, and sufficient water is then 

 admitted to sink the boat. Once on the bottom, the compressed air is allowed 

 to rush into the working chamber, upon which the bottom of the boat, an 

 iron door of eight superficial feet, is opened, and work is commenced. The 

 vessel is again brought to the surface by discharging the water taken in. 



L 2 



