ANNIVEBSABY ADDKESS. 31 



Knapp, the Naval Instructor ; and Lieut. Deane, R.N., of 

 H.M.S. " Iris," had also aided my inquiries by bringing over for 

 me many interesting geological specimens, including the Nickel- 

 iferous mineral (1858) ; and Mr. Plews also contributed many 

 useful data, together with a sketch of the scenery and notice of 

 the formation of the great Serpentine range at the back of the 

 harbour of what is now called Noumea ; so that for nearly thirty 

 years I have been kept cm fait respecting explorations in New 

 Caledonia. 



Other persons also, long before 1872, had communicated with 

 me on the Geology and Mineralogy of that country, and since 

 then the question of the Nickel-bearing mineral became of so 

 much importance that I sent specimens of it to England and 

 America, and my friend Professor Dana readily accepted my 

 designation of it as " Grarnierite," considering it " a very appro- 

 priate one, and otherwise satisfactory" ; and it is to be introduced 

 under that name in the next Appendix to his " Mineralogy." 

 This will be appropriate enough also, as in the edition of 1868, 

 under the head of Chromite, we read that it was then known to 

 exist "in New Caledonia, affording ore for commerce." Our 

 Associate — Professor Liversidge — has also been good enough te 

 concede this privilege of nomination to me — as expressed in his 

 valuable paper read last Session — for which I now openly tender 

 my thanks, assuring him that my wish was only so far to inter- 

 fere as to see justice done to one whose labours in New Cale- 

 donia (before Port de Prance had been re-named Noumea) 

 deserved such recognition. 



The documental evidence for the whole of the above statements 

 is now upon the table. 



The formations recognized in New Caledonia by their fossils 

 are these : — 



Quaternary — Characterized by species still living on the coast. 



Lower Neocomian — Characterized by Pinna. 



Upper Lias — Characterized by JVucula hammeri. 



Lower Lias — Characterized by Ostrea suhlamellosa — JPellatia 

 Gamieri. 



