468 Proceedings. 



Selices, amongst wliicli lie could distinguisli the Selioo lusbyi and tte Helix 

 dunnicB. Mr. Gillies went on to exhibit and to describe shells which, he had 

 obtained at the Waitangi Ealls and in the northern streams. 



Captain Hutton said Mr. G-illies deserved the thanks of the members of 

 the Institute for the valuable services he had rendered to the geology of 

 New Zealand. 



3. A paper " On Thames Auriferous Quartz," by Mr. Greorge Ford, 

 Grold-mining Chemist, of Australia, was read by the Secretary. 



The paper contained much valuable information as to the character of 

 Thames gold, modes of its extraction, indications for judging of its presence, 

 value, &c. It had been written by Mr. Ford for the owners of the " Bobbie 

 Burns " claim at the Thames, who had submitted for examination a portion 

 of outside casing, not taken from a leader. A request was made to the 

 meeting that the contents of this paper should not be made public for 

 the present, the shareholders themselves having been at considerable 

 expense in obtaining it. 



Captain Hutton warned the miners against the use of cyanide of 

 potassium, as the result of it would be to dissolve the gold. He, however, 

 approved of the use of Mr. Crook's sodium amalgam as a corrective. 



Captain G-oldsmith drew attention to the fact that the separation of the 

 gold was often impeded, and loss occasioned, by clay getting into the 

 stamper box and mixing with the mercury. 



Thied Meetes'G. Gth July, 1868. 

 Frederick Whitaker, President, in the chair. 



The following contributions were laid upon the table : — 



Golden pheasant, from the Auckland Acclimatization Society. Fossil 

 IPecten, from Te Pahi, Kaipara — Mr. Kirk. Work on the anatomy of 

 Satteria pionctata, by Albert Giinther — from the author. Auriferous 

 quartz, from the " Bobbie Burns " claim — Mr. W. Aitkin. Copy of the 

 AucJdand Times, 12th September, 1842, found at an old native burial-place 

 at the Thames — -Mr. IT. 51. Jervis. One rare Murex, one rare Venus — Mr. 

 Traill. Specimen of king penguin, captured at the Bay of Islands — Captain 

 Hutton. One skin of huia, one of A'pteryx oioeni, from Mr. BuUer, 

 "Wanganui, in exchange for skins from museum collection ; and one skull of 

 fish (unknown), collected at Hokitika, by Mr. Murdoch. 



Moved and carried, that the thanks of the meeting be given to the 

 donors. 



1. " On some Experiments in Hydraulic Mortar," by James Stewart, 

 Assoc. Inst. C.E. {Trait sacf ions, p. 101.) 



