Tbavebs. — On the Reclamation of Sand Dunes. 89 



Wellington — On 3rd, very low barometer, strong wind from E. ; at 3 p.m. barometer 

 28-754 ; at 4.15 p.m. rose rapidly, wind shifting round to S., through E. ; no rain to speak 

 of at this period. 

 Nelson — A storm commenced on 3rd, wind S.E. ; on 4th, wind N.E. ; and on 5th, N. ; the 



rainfall on the 5th, for 24 hours previous, was 7'03 inches; from 3rd to 5th the 



rainfall was 12-88 inches ; barometer down to 28-83 inches. 

 Christchurch — Disastrous and unparalleled floods occurred throughout the eastern portion of 



the Province of Canterbury on 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. The rainfall at Mount Peel was 



8-08 inches in 24 hours, ending at 12 p.m. on the 3rd. In Christchurch the rain 



was heavy, but not so severe as the above. 

 Hokitiha — On the 3rd a heavy S.E. gale experienced, but no great rain. 

 Dunedin — On 3rd, a storm from S.E. ; 1-37 inches rain, recorded on 4th, for previous 24 



hours. There were great floods all over the Province, doing much damage. 

 Southland — Gale occurred on 3rd and 4th from E.S.E., but no rain. 



Total rain for Month of February, 1868, compared with averages for same month 



previous years. 



inches. 





Feb., 1868. 



Same Month 

 Peevious Ybabs. 



Taranaki 



. . 6-07 



3-67 i 



WelHngton . . 



.. 8-76 



3-28 



Nelson 



.. 19-95 



6-48 



Christchurch 



.. 5-66 



1-25 



Dunedin 



,. 5-07 



2-35 



Art V. — Hemarhs on the Sand Dunes of the West Coast of the Provincial 

 District of Wellington. By W. T. L. Teavers, F.L.S. 

 [Bead before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 20th August, 1881.] 

 Every person wlio lias travelled from Wellington to Wanganui by the 

 present coach road, must have been struck by the large extent of the dunes 

 which lie inside the shore Une from Paikakariki northward. These dunes, 

 as will have been observed, consist of sand washed up by the waves, and 

 then heaped up above the tide line by the action of the prevailing westerly 

 winds. . The depressions which occur amongst them are often of consider- 

 able extent, and where these lower areas continue moist throughout the 

 year, they support a comparatively dense vegetation, whilst such of them 

 as usually remain dry are mere arid wastes of shifting sand, without any 

 vestige of plant life. The sand of which the dunes are usually composed is 

 not exclusively silicious matter, but contains a proportion of calcareous and 

 other mineral substances, and of animal and vegetable remains, which help 

 to give it a capacity under certain conditions for sustaining vegetable 

 growth, and accordingly we find that where the surface remains undis- 



