142 JOUENAL OF SCIENCE. 



pure fossil diatom aceous mass. Thirdly (and this was the important 

 point), in the upper deposit he found only a quantity of two species of 

 the genera Melosira and Himantidium, with a very few ISTaviculas ; 

 whilst in the lower deposit, with one species of Melosira, and a few 

 Navicular there were many specimens of a peculiarly-shaped diatom, 

 which, from the distinct cross visible on it, he took for a Stauroneis. 

 Having' submitted specimens of this to Dr. de Lautour, of Oamaru, a 

 leading diatomist of the colony, that gentleman considered it as a new 

 species ; and he agreed with Mr. Maskell that it was undoubtedly 

 ' fossil.' Specimens of the deposit were also sent to Mr. Grove, one 

 of the first authorities in England on diatoms, and to Mr. Hardman, 

 another very eminent student of the same family at Liverpool ; and 

 these gentlemen, whilst ascribing this particular diatom to the genus 

 Achnanthes, also agreed that it was clearly fossil. Now, the result of 

 these investigations showed positively, as he thought, that there is a 

 radical and important difference between the two deposits. The 

 upper one is recent, with living diatoms and no Achnanthes ; the 

 lower one is conspicuously full of Achnanthes, quite in a fossil state. 

 If the geological evidence taken by itself, seemed to point to a simi- 

 larity of conditions and of time in which both deposits were formed, 

 the microscopical observations went to show that there must have 

 been a considerable difference of time, at least. It seemed to him 

 that the two classes of evidence would have to be taken together ; or, 

 at least, the indications of the microscope should receive full attention. 

 The case certainly was a peculiar one, as the two deposits were so 

 closely adjoined. 



Mr. Hulke supposed that Mr. McKay wished to show that he 

 had evidence of evolution, while Mr. Maskell contended that this had 

 not been proved. Had these deposits been bones, Mr. McKay would 

 not, he presumed, say they were the same had the bones been of 

 distinct forms. It would be interesting to know whether the lower 

 deposits were much abraded. 



Mr. McKay briefly replied, and said he felt sure that his state- 

 ments would be fully borne out by anyone carefully examining the 

 district where these deposits had been found. 



(2) " On the Botany of Antipodes Island," by T. Kirk, F.G-.S. 

 Antipodes Island is about -AGO miles from Port Chalmers in a 

 southerly direction, and is simply the crater of an extinct volcano. 

 An overflow of lava on the eastern side has formed an angle where a 

 lauding may be made with some difficulty, but only in the finest 

 weather. In all other places the cliffs are steep, so that the island is 

 practically inaccessible. The albatross and other oceanic birds breed 

 on the island, which, in some places, is dotted over with the nests of 

 the great albatross, constructed of earth, built up into a truncated 

 cone about eighteen inches high, slightly concave on the upper 

 surface, and usually containing one large egg. The highest point 

 on the island, Mount Gallowaj^, a rounded hill, is about 1,320 feet 

 above sea level. There is not a tree on the island ; nothing much 

 larger than a gooseberry bush. The chief vegetation consists of 

 masses of coarse sedges and grass. The island is about as desolate a 

 place as can well be imagined. Some bushy scrubs at the base of 

 Mount Galloway were enlivened by the yellow-headed parroquet, 



