Wellington Philosophical Society. 385 



The specimen on whicli tlie paper was founded was exhibited. It was 

 found on the beach at Kaikoura by Mr. J. E,. W, Taylor, and was presented 

 by him to the Museum. 



2. " On the Fossil Reptilia of New Zealand," by James Hector, M.D., 

 F.R.S., Director of the Geological Survey of New Zealand. {Transactions, 

 p. 333.) 



Specimens illustrating this paper were exhibited, 



3. " Description of the Patent Slip at Evans Bay, Wellington, and of the 

 mode of erecting or constructing the same," by J. Rees George, C.E. 

 {Tratisactions, p. 14.) 



The author illustrated his paper with a large number of drawings and 

 sections. 



Mr. O'Neill, C.E., and Mr, W, Travers complimented the author on the 

 able and successful manner in which this woi-k had been carried out, and said 

 it was a credit to the Province, and the paper would prove of great use to 

 engineers. 



4. " On the Extinct Glaciers of the Middle Island of New Zealand," by 

 W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. {Transactions, p. 297.) 



Di'. Hector said that one cause for the former greater extent of the New 

 Zealand glaciers appears to have been lost sight of in recent discussions on the 

 subject. He had pointed it out to Sir Charles Lyell, who mentions it in 

 the last edition of his " Principles," and also applies the same idea to the 

 Euroj)ean Alps, The theory was that the elevation of the New Zealand 

 mountains was probably coincident with the submergence of the low land in 

 the interior of Australia, which is covered with a post pliocene marine 

 formation. Tbe equatorial north-west winds would thus impinge on the New 

 Zealand Alps without, as at present, being deprived of a large amount of 

 the aqueous vapour by passing over the arid plains of Australia, and by the 

 condensation of snow by the mountains, would be therefore very much in 

 excess, and consequently the glaciers much larger than at present. According 

 to this view the true place to seek for evidence of the age of the glacier 

 period in the Alps of East Austra.lia and New Zealand is in the interior of 

 Australia, A slighter degree of change at a later date must also have 

 been due to the destruction of a large forest growth in Australia by fire, 

 during the early period of its occupation by those we now call the aborigines, 

 which is rendered probable by the circumstances under which the Diprotodon 

 and other extinct and gigantic Marsupiates are found, and such a change must 

 also have exercised an indirect influence on the climate of New Zealand. He 

 differed from Mr. Ti-avers' explanation of the phenomeuon of Lake Guyon, 

 as he considered it to be a portion of a valley that had existed prior to the 



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