403 



Mr. W. Allen criticised the paper, and regretted that it did not give information on 

 many interesting points that had been observed in the course of this important under- 

 taking, with which he had been connected from the commencement. 



He understood that Mr. Stewart had not been a personal observer of the operations, 

 and therefore had relied on information supplied by others. He attributed the success 

 very greatly to the cage described by Mr. (Stewart, which had been contrived to afford a 

 working stage to contain the divers and their tools. One of the great difficulties the company 

 had to contend with was want of information on the subject ; for instance, they could not 

 find out whether divers could conduct operations at so great a depth. The first attempt, 

 it might be remembered, had cost the life of a diver, but this he believed was due to the 

 physical weakness of the man. Subsequently the divers had experienced no ill-effects 

 from remaining as long even as 110 minutes at the more moderate depths, biit when at the 

 greatest depth, 100 feet, they rarely stayed down longer than fifteen minutes. He 

 trusted that no facts that had been noted respecting this interesting, bat he feared not 

 remunerative undertaking, would fail to be recorded. 



Dr. Hector directed attention to a collection of the marine animals that were found 

 on the vessel, among which are three species of Anomia, two of Mytilus, street, Pecten, 

 Serpula, Balanus, and Teredo. He remarked that some of these animals are usually found 

 only slightly below low-water mark; and their occurring so well-grown within a year at 

 the depth of 100 feet, seemed to indicate that depth of water did not so much control 

 their existence, as a supply of nourishment, and that this was probably abundant near 

 the wreck. 



Some discussion, in which the Chairman, Mr. Mantell, and Mr. Marchant joined, 

 ensued as to the evidence afforded by the wreck that marine animals require access of 

 light for their development, but the observations made did not appear to settle the point. 



(4. ) " On the Effects of the Application of the Hot Blast to Blow-pipe Purposes, etc. , " 

 by W. Skey. (See ante, p. 148. ) Mr. Skey showed that the temperature obtained by 

 the common blow-pipe, with proper precautions against conduction of heat, was at least 

 5100° Fahrenheit, as it is capable of fusing fine points of platinum. 



(5.) "On the application of Iodine and Bromine for the detection of Gold when in 

 minute quantities, " by W. Skey. (See ante, p. 156.) The author described a new 

 process which had been recently adopter] in the laboratory, to facilitate the analysis of 

 supposed auriferous quartz ; when sulphides were present in large quantities, iodine or 

 bromine is used as the solvent, and a lapid test is obtained by dipping filter paper in the 

 solution, and burning it with due care, when if gold be present a very characteristic 

 purple hue is imparted to the ash. By this test the presence of gold, in the proportion of 

 one dwt. in the ton, can be detected with great economy and certainty. 



(6. ) " Preliminary Notes on the Bones of a Fossil Penguin, " recently discovered on the 

 West Coast of Nelson, and presented to the Museum by Mr. Dingan, by Dr. Hector. 

 The discovery is interesting, as a fossil bone discovered by Mr. Mantell in the Oamaru 

 limestone of Otago, in 1849, was pronounced by Professor Huxley to belong to a gigantic 

 penguin five feet in height. The fossil bones found by Mr. Dingan appeared to be those 

 of a bird about four feet high, and therefore not larger than penguins that still exist in 

 the antarctic regions. The fossil shells, sent from the same formation as the bones, 

 indicate that they belong to the lower pliocene period. 



(7.) "On the General Principles of an Education Scheme for New Zealand," by 

 W. S. Hamilton. (See ante, p. 196. ) The chief object of this paper was to show that sound 

 education of youth is of vital importance to the success of the colony — that it can only be 

 obtained by a careful selection of teachers through a system of licensing, and by general 

 examinations of the scholars' certificates being granted, that would be generally accepted 

 as a criterion of proficiency, and afford a standard for the schools to work up to. Mr. 

 Hamilton, in the course of his paper, criticised the relations of the Government in the 

 existing schools. 



Mr. Mantell, in discussing his remarks on this subject, did not see that any Govern- 

 ment could improve or originate any system unless the movement was in accordance with 

 the general wish of the people. He pointed out that where the inhabitants appreciated 

 the benefits of education, as in Otago, there a good system existed. 



Mr. Pharazyn thought that nothing would be done towards improving the present 

 state of things unless the educated members of the community led the way, he therefore 

 agreed with the object of Mr. Hamilton's suggestions. 



The Chairman then stated that two papers remained on the list, but it was so late 

 that they could only be briefly noticed. 



(8.) One was a most elaborate series of "Tables for facilitating the use of the 

 Aneroid Barometer in Mountainous Countries, with explanations," by E. Dobson, C.E. 

 (See ante, p. 223.) This paper was intended to supply a practical want which had been 

 felt by Mr. Dobson when making engineering surveys in New Zealand mountains, and 

 no one could be more qualified than he to produce a valuable and accurate work of the 

 kind. 



