MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 241 
ing the rapid discharge of a geyser fountain. Flocculent silica is 
slowly deposited from cold alkaline solutions upon the gradual 
conversion of the alkaline hydrates into carbonates (by exposure 
to the atmosphere). LEarthy silicious sinter will be formed as a 
residuary deposit by the first evaporation of the water. The pre- 
sence of iron oxides will impart to the sinter formation various 
tints of red, orange, yellow, or brown. Sulphurous springs are 
easily recognised by their characteristic deposit. The various 
silicious formations may be classed as (a) incrustations and con- 
cretions, (b) surface deposits, (c) cementations formed by the me- 
chanical union of silicious deposits with other minerals; (a) the 
incrustations and concretions may be white or coloured and form 
frosted or crystalline, pearly or beaded, coralloid, spongoid, or 
nodular ; in structure honeycombed, porous, granular, scaley, or 
compact; (b) the deposits form mounds, cones, basins, cups, 
terraces, or may cover the surface with tabular blocks of amor- 
phorous sinter, or beds of laminated geyserite. The appearance 
of a new deposit is: (1) acicular and crystalline; (2) rough, scal- 
loped, fretted, or tringed; (3) vitreous, smooth, or mammillary. 
The structure may be brittle or friable, hard, compact, laminated, 
banded, granular, or amorphous. 
OFAGO INSTITUTE. 
Mnmedin, August 5, 1884.. D. Petrie, Esq., President, in the 
chair. 
New member— Major-General Fulton. 
The business of the meeting was to discuss ‘‘ The New Zealand 
Institute: its relations to the affiliated societies and to scientific 
work in New Zealand generally.” 
The following recommendations, which it is proposed to for- 
ward to the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute, 
were discussed at considerable length and unanimously agreed to. 
_ 1, That it is desirable in the interests of scientific work generally 
in New Zealand, that the New Zealand Institute as at present 
existing be subdivided into two portions—the following depart- 
ments under the care of the present manager, viz.: the Colonial 
Museum and Geological Survey; the Libraries, Meteorological 
Stations, Observatory, Laboratory, and the publications belonging 
respectively to these bodies being formed into a separate Govern- 
ment department; while the New Zealand Institute proper, 
consisting of the affiliated societies only, be reconstituted on the 
basis laid down in the following recommendations. 
2. that the management be in the hands of a Board of 
Governors constituted as follows :—One Governor to be elected by 
each of the affiliated societies, the full number of Governors (say 
fifteen) to be made up by nomination. 
3. A meeting of the Board to be held during the last full week 
in January in each year. 
4. The income of the New Zealand Institute to consist of the 
annual Parliamentary vote, together with contributions from the 
affiliated societies ;, such contributions to be fixed annually by the 
Board of Governors, and not to exceed one-fourth of the annual 
subscriptions of members, 
