Hector. — On Eartliquahes and Wave Phenomena. 35 



possess similar climatal and otlier physical couditions, and always present- 

 ing the same general appearance. 



I therefore believe that even should a complete suite of all the Veronicas 

 found in this country exhibit a gradual and almost imperceptible passage 

 from one extreme to the other, this may properly be referred to the fact 

 that we have, condensed within the narrow area of the Middle Island, a 

 variety of geological and of resulting climatal and other physical conditions 

 only to be found in an immensely wider area elsewhere, and that hence all 

 the observed varieties may in great measure be assigned to the modifying 

 influences of varying external causes. 



The above observations will apply equally to Pimelias, Vero7iicas, Gelmisias, 

 and Ejpilohiwns at least. In none of these have I seen that tendency to 

 " sport " which results from hybridization imder domestication. In all, 

 where the external conditions are the same, I observed a nearly perfect 

 identity in the more prominent specific characters of the plants, however 

 distant the localities in which they may be found, and whether associated 

 with other species or not, and for these reasons I ventured to express my 

 opinion that the varieties observed did not result from hybridization. 



The foregoing was the general argument used by me in addressing Dr. 

 Hooker on the subject under discussion, and I may now add that although 

 we cannot, consistently with observed facts and with the laws fairly deduc- 

 ible from those facts, reject hybridization as one of the agents concerned in 

 the production of new forms in a state of nature, we are not warranted in 

 assuming that it is an active agent. That, on the contrary, we are rather 

 justified in believing that, except under domestication, hybridization plays 

 but a very small part in producing permanent modifications of structure. 



Aet. IV. — On tlie recent JEarthqiuches and Wave Phenomena observed in 

 Neio Zealand. By James Hectoe, M.D., E.E.S., Director of the 

 Greological Survey of New Zealand. 



(Plate I.) 

 \_Itead hefore the Wellington iPJiilosofhical Society, 2^tli August, 1868.] 



OiSTE of the most important duties of the members of a local scientific 

 society such as this, is to obtain accurate records of phenomena of a tran- 

 sient character, like the disturbances of the tides and the earthquakes by 

 which this Colony was visited between the 14th and 18th of August, 1868. 

 I have, therefore, attempted to coUect together, in the following communi- 

 cation, the observations which were made in different places, so far as they 

 have been already ascertained; and although they are deficient in many 



