416 Transactions. — Geology. 



properly enclosed in tubes to a considerable depth. In such a manner the 

 temperature "will remain more uniform, tlie surface water, and the cold 

 springs, which are now allowed to mix freely with those of a thermal 

 character, becoming separated from them, and thus the curative properties 

 will not only be secured in all seasons, but will actually be augmented. 



This I presume can only be done, either by the Government of the 

 Colony taking the matter in hand and spending a large amount of money 

 on these springs for the benefit of suffering humanity, in the same manner 

 as this is done by the Grovernments on the Continent of Europe with their 

 thermal or mineral springs, or to give such facilities to a large company 

 that it will be incumbent upon the promoters to devote a considerable 

 amount of money to that purpose. 



Besides the tubings and enclosing of the principal springs, proper houses 

 for bathing, and accommodation for the visitors have to be built, and some 

 amount of money ought to be spent towards embellishing that now rather 

 dreary and bleak spot. Being surrounded by picturesque mountains, a 

 delightful villegiatura would thus be created, equally welcome to the patient 

 and to the resident of the town who seeks change of air and scene. 



I have examined carefully the flora in the close vicinity of the springs, 

 but have not found a single plant that has not been previously described, or 

 does not occur in other localities in the Hanmer Plains where the ground 

 is moist. 



The most important inhabitant of the pools is a small water-beetle. It 

 has several times given a small bite to my companion and myself when 

 bathing. This was sufficiently acute to be as painful as the prick of a pin. 

 Two were caught in the act and proved to be specimens of Colymbetes rufi- 

 manus, in no way different from those occurring in our small cold water- 

 courses. 



In my first paper I calculated the altitude of the principal spring, from 

 a single observation, to be 1,162 feet, whilst Dr. Hector's calculation, also 

 from a single observation, places it at 1,360 feet. 



Mr. W. Kitson informs me that there is a trig, station (F.) 18 chains 

 north of the pools, which is 1,219 feet above the sea-level. He estimates 

 this point at 20 feet higher than the springs, so that their real altitude 

 would be about 1,200 feet. 



