Wellington Philosophical Society/. 383 



Dolphin had not been obtained for description since the time of Ca^Dtain Cook 

 until now. 



2. " Notes on the Glacial Period," by A. D. Dobson, C.E. 



This paper was read by Dr. Hector, who made some remarks j-egarding it, 

 and said that more exact information and sections were I'equired before 

 anything definite could be said on tbe subject. He considered that many 

 of the auriferous alluvial deposits that rest on shelves at a high elevation, 

 nearly parallel with and close to the coast, were left in this position by the 

 erosive action of the sea destroying the seaward side of the valley in which 

 they were originally formed. The cliffs, on the top of which they rest, must 

 at least have been cut by the sea since these alluviums were formed. He, 

 however, agreed with the writer in most of his conclusions. 



The Chairman agreed with the author that the gravels of the Moutere 

 Hills in Nelson were older than the glaciers, but the Canterbury Plains could 

 be proved to be younger than them. At Motanau, on the East Coast, a raised 

 beach with recent marine shells' occurred at an altitude of more than 100 feet 

 above the sea, while at the mouth of the Conway the raised beaches attained 

 an altitude of 300 feet. He had never visited the West Coast, but Mr. 

 Hacket had described the moraines at Okarito as being rudely stratified, and 

 containing rounded boulders of granite, while at a height of 200 to 300 feet 

 above the sea they were all levelled at the top. This could only be due to 

 marine action. He could not agree with Dr. Hector that the beach terraces 

 on the West Coast were valley terraces, one half of the valley having been 

 washed away by the sea, because he thought that rain would have removed 

 the terraces before the sea coiild wash away the other half of the valley. 



3. " On the Spread of Cassinia leptoi^hylla" by W. T. L. Travers, P.L.S. 

 {Transactions, p. 248.) 



4. " On some New Species of New Zealand Plants," by John Buchanan, 

 of the Geological Survey of New Zealand. {Transactions, p. 241.) 



5. " Notes on the New Zealand Wood-hens {Ocydromics)," by Captain 

 F. W. Hutton, C.M.Z.S. {Transactions, p. 110.) 



6. " Notes on some New Zealand Fishes," by Captain F, W. Hutton, 

 C.M.Z.S. {Transactions, p. 104.) 



7. " An Introduction to the Study and Collection of the Araneidea in New 

 Zealand. With a Description and Figures of Cambridyea fasciata, L. Koch, 

 from Chatham Island ; and also of a New Species of Macrothele, Auss., 

 M. huttonii, Cambr., found at Wellington, New Zealand," by the Rev. 0. P. 

 Cambridge, M.A., C.M.Z.S. {Transactions, p. 187.) 



The fi.rst part only of the paper was read at this meeting. 



