264 Proceedings, (&c., for 1S8Q. 



Mr. Griffiths replied to the various speakers, and the proceed- 

 ings terminated, Mr. Howitt's paper " Oa tlie Intrusive Rocks of 

 Dargo" having been postponed till next meeting. 



Octobe)^ lith, 1886. 



Present, the President, Professor W. C. Kernot, M.A. (in the 

 chair) and 20 members and associates. 



The President announced that Mr. Hunt, of the Royal Mint, 

 Sydney, had accepted the appointment of delegate of the Society 

 at the preliminary meeting for the purpose of forming an Australian 

 association for the advancement of science. 



Also the receipt of sundry communications on the subject of 

 Antarctic Exploration from the Scottish Geographical Society and 

 the Otago Institute, New Zealand. 



Also that the annual conversazione had been fixed to take place 

 on the 26th inst, and that a committee had been appointed, con- 

 sisting of Messrs. Ellery, Griffiths, Jamieson, Josephs, Kernot, 

 Murray, Rusden, and Wild, to make the necessary arrangements. 



The President then asked Mr. Selby to read Mr. A. W. Howitt's 

 paper, entitled " Notes on the Area of Intrusive Rocks at Dargo." 

 Mr. Selby read the paper accordingly, and it was then discussed by 

 Mr. Griffiths, Mr. Thompson, Mr. Lucas, and the President. 



Mr. Lucas then read a paper, entitled " On the Sections displayed 

 in the Coode Canal," and another "On the Sound Organs of the 

 Green Cicada." After some discussion, the meeting closed. 



On Tuesday, the 26th October, a conversazione was held by the 

 members of the Royal Society in the new Masonic Hall, Collins- 

 street East. His Excellency and aides-de-camp were received 

 in the vestibule by the President and Council. The President 

 delivered his address (which is prefixed to this volume), in which he 

 gave a retrospect of scientific progress during the year. 



Mr. Griffiths then read an address on " Antarctic Exploration," 

 and exhibited a picture in water colours of Captain Weddell's schooner 

 the "Jane," in south latitude 74 degs. 15 mins , 36 degs. long. W., in 

 1823, which he had been fortunate enough to obtain for the occasion. 

 He said : — Fourteen navigators have attempted Antarctic exploration, 

 and all we know of the region is due to their enterprise. Its chief 

 physical features are three great promontories, or north-stretching 

 land masses, three great bights, and three great ocean currents. 

 The latter originate within the tropics, and terminate in the bights. 

 There the warm waters of these currents melt the ice, and leave 

 openings for exploratory work. The ocean around the Pole averages 

 over two miles in depth, and its bed is barred by several well- 

 defined deposits. The blue mud is peculiar to the neighbourhood of 

 continents, and its presence along the ice barrier indicates a Polar 

 land mass, even where, as yet, land has not been seen. The sea 



