Wellington Philosophical Society. 537 



Mr. Travers, in reply, thought that it was immaterial to attribute the effects he had 

 described to landslips — ^these were an effect, not a cause. The fact was that the rain was 

 so great that the river channels could not carry the waters. It was during the first few 

 hours that the rivers rose most rapidly. All the driftwood was dead and seemed to have 

 been the accumulation of years. The iiood was not by any means local, as the Hutt 

 Eiver also brought down driftwood, so as to cover the whole harbour and discolour the sea 

 outside the Heads for two miles, for several days. Mr. Cox, he thought, misunderstood 

 his argument, as the accumulations of detritus formed during the flood were entirely new 

 at that date, and now form permanent objects in the district. Such a flood could never 

 have occurred before, or similar marks would have been left. He gave further particulars 

 respecting the whirlwinds mentioned by Mr. Bull, and stated that large tracts of forest in 

 the Nelson district had been completely overthrown by them. 



2. "Notes on the Mineralogy of New Zealand," by S. Herbert Cox, 

 F.C.S., F.G.S., Assistant Greologist. (Transactions, p. 418). 



3. On the Alpine Flora of New Zealand," by John Buchanan, F.L.S. 

 {Transactions, p. 342). 



4. " On the Occurrence of of the Salmon Trout (Salmo trutta) in Nelson 

 Harbour," by Dr. Hector. (Transactions, p. 211). 



Mr. Travers said he had reason to believe that similar fish occurred in the lower part 

 of the Hutt Eiver. 



Fifth Meeting. 22«(^ October, 1881. 

 Dr. Hector, President, in the chair. 

 Neiv Members. — G. B. Williamson, C. Gillespie. 



1. Mr. Martin Chapman was chosen to vote in the election of Governors 

 of the New Zealand Institute for the ensuing year, in conformity with clause 

 7 of the New Zealand Institute Act. 



2. "Notes on the Mineralogy of New Zealand," by S. H. Cox, F.G.S. 

 (Transactions, p. 418). 



The minerals dealt with on this occasion were the ores of arsenic, antimony, tellurium, 

 and bismuth. 



Dr. Hector remarked on the importance of this paper, and said that although some of 

 the minerals might not appear of much value, yet they indicated the presence of other and 

 more important minerals. In speaking of the Thames and Coromandel districts, he pointed 

 out the similarity which exists between the mineral deposits there and at the Comstock in 

 America, and Schemnitz In Hungary. Twelve years ago the Comstock lode was worked 

 for gold, which occurred in the form of electrum, a natural alloy of gold and silver ; but 

 now the lodes have passed in depth into silver lodes, and are worked at nearly 2,000 feet 

 from the surface, and the nature of the rocks and associated minerals affords reasonable 

 grounds for expecting that a similar development may take place at the Thames, as mining 

 works are carried on. The minerals mentioned by the author show the influence of hydro- 

 thermal action similar to that which is still in activity at Eotomahana, denudation having 

 removed the superficial rocks at the Thames, and exposed the core into which the mineral 

 veins have been infiltrated. The same minerals described as found on the West Coast 



60 



