380 Proceedings. 



■which led them to suppose that any unusual event had happened. It was 

 observed, however, that the boiling springs which were situate near the 

 glacier suddenly ceased playing, and afterwards found their way to the surface 

 at a distance of a quarter of a mile from their old position. This appears to 

 indicate that the pressure caused by the slip was almost inconceivably great, 

 and that the mass of rocks detached from the mountain is also very great. 

 I may mention tbat the peak appears to be almost imdermined at the place 

 where the slip has occurred. Although the season of the year appears to 

 present considerable, if not insuperable, obstacles in the way of anything like 

 a thorough exploration, I deemed it advisable to communicate the above facts 

 to you, as the circumstances to which I have alluded ai-e, to say the least of 

 them, at all events a little outside the limits of the ordinary changes which are 

 going on over the surface of the earth in this part of the woi-ld. Should you 

 require further information, I do not doubt that in the course of a few days 

 I shall be in possession of further particulars." 



4. A letter from Mr. W. H. Ralph, regarding a Hot Spring in the Bed of 

 the Wataroa Eiver, Westland, was communicated by Dr. Hector. 



''4:th August, 1873. — Some three weeks ago I was, along with two other 

 men, out prospecting in the Wataroa River — the right-hand branch — when, 

 about fifty miles up it from the sea beach, we came across a hot-water spring. 

 It was situated in the bed of the river — the right-hand side — and the gas was 

 issuing through the water among the rocks, causing a great bubbling. It was 

 strongly charged with sulphur, and we could smell the noxious vapours for 

 over a mile round. I am writing this under the impression that it may at 

 some future day benefit science ; or, should an eruption occur at any distant 

 date, it may be known to exist. We intended to have brought down along 

 with us a billy-full of the water on returning, to have it analyzed, but found, 

 on going further up the river, that the other side was far better travelling, so 

 we forded, and missed the opportunity. I may be allowed to add that it was 

 a very bad road to travel, it taking us sometimes a day to go a mile or two." 



5. " Notice of the Occurrence of a Red Spider among the Fruit Trees in 

 the South, and the Disappearance of the Blight," by James Morton, communi- 

 cated by Dr. Hector. 



" I have made a discovery this season amongst fruit trees. The A^jMs, or 

 Apple Blight, I find, is suppressed or held in check by another minute race of 

 insects, apparently a species of Red Spider {Acaridm). These small insects 

 completely cover the under parts of the branches, like a red rust, and wherever 

 they make their appearance the apple blight does not exist, so much so that 

 trees that I knew to be badly infected with the apple blight six years ago, and 

 largely warted from its action, are now partially clean and this species of Red 



