34 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, 
science, introduces some subject admitting of discussion by the 
members generally. : 
‘Thirteen new members joined during the year, and the total 
number of members is now 161. Numerous additions have been 
made to the library. 
‘‘ The Council regret that during the year Mr, George Gray has 
been obliged to resign has position as Honorar ySecretary, and 
while congratulating him on his promotion, desire to thank him 
for the energetic and efficient manner in which he has promoted 
the interests of the society during his term of office. The Hon. 
W. Rolleston has been chosen by the Council to vote at the elec- 
tion of the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute. 
The balance-sheet shows total receipts for the year £190 17s 4d;: 
expenditure £153 128; actual balance £37 5s 4d; balance in 
Savings Bank (life subscriptions) £33 1s; total balance £70 6s 
The following gentlemen were elected officers for the ensuing 
year :—President, Mr. R. W. Fereday ; Vice-presidents, Professor 
Hutton and Mr. John Inglis; Treasurer, Mr. W. M. Maskell ; 
Secretary, Mr. C. Chilton; Auditor, Mr. C. R. Blackiston ; Coun- 
cil: Messrs. H. R. Webb, G. Gray, G. Hogben, E. Dobson, T. 
Crook, and Dr. von Lendenfeld. 
The retiring President reviewed briefly the work of the past 
year, pointing out that the Council had thought it wise to depart 
trom the rule observed by similar societies in England, that no 
paper should be read unless it professed to add to present scien- 
tific knowledge, and to allow pavers of wider interest to the public 
to be brought before the Institute; and it was hoped that the 
continuation of this practice would tend to widen the usefulness 
of the Institute. He also mentioned that Mr. Nottidge had written 
from England to the Acclimatisation Society that he would send 
out some Humble bees in the cool chambers of the direct steam 
liners, and the bees might be expected to arrive in December. He 
then delivered an address on “ The Origin of the Fauna and Flora 
of New Zealand.” (See page 1). 
Christchurch, 15th November, 1883.—Mr. R. W. Fereday,. 
President, in the chair. 
New member—Mr. R. Wilkin, jun. 
Papers—(1.) ‘‘On the Lower Gorge of the Waimakariri,” by 
Professor F. W. Hutton. A low slate hill rises out of the Can-. 
terbury Plains, between the Malvern Hills and Oxford; the River 
Waimakariri flows through this hill, cutting it into two portions 
and forming a deep rocky gorge. It does not appear possible that 
the river could by itself have cut through the hill. The most 
probable explanation is that at some former period the shingle 
brought down by the rivers accumulated to a thickness of some 
50 or 70 feet higher than at present, and almost covered the hill. 
The river then running along its north-east base cut down through 
the shingle and into the solid rock. A period of depression follow- 
ing, the sea advanced over the Canterbury Plains, sweeping away 
the upper 50 or 70 feet, and reducing them to their present level ;, 
the cut through the hill remaining as the estuary of the river. On 
the land being re-elevated, the river again cut down the present 
gorge. The movements of both subsidence and elevation must 
