MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES?. 285 



where the young are born alive — is one of the most remarkable 

 characters of the genus. Dr. Dandy is carefully watching these eggs, 

 with a view to their further development. 



The usual exhibition of specimens took place afterwards. 



Melbourne, September, 14th, 1891. — D. Best, Esq., in the chair. 



New members. — Messrs. L. J. Balfour, A. D. Denny, J. P. 

 Fiddian, B.A.. A. E. Hill, P. A. Officer, and J. J. Porter. 



Papers.— (1) "The Supposed Human Footprints on ^Eolian Hocks 

 at Warrnambool," by C. G. W. Officer. In introducing the subject, 

 Mr. Officer described in detail the formation and nature of the sand 

 dunes and their connection with the underlying strata, as shown by the 

 similarity of the stone now being (married there. Overlying the dunes 

 in many places are sheets and veins of limestone, varying from a few 

 inches to several feet in thickness. Last December a slab was dis- 

 covered in one of the quarries bearing impressions which suggested that 

 they were made by human beings. This slab was secured by Mr. 

 Archibald, and placed in the Warrnambool Museum. The determination 

 of the age of the rocks is of importance, and Mr. Officer, following the 

 lead of Professor Tate, alleged them to be pleistocene, and suggested 

 that the impressions were made by two individuals sitting close 

 together, and somewhat obliquely to each other. In the discussion 

 which followed, Mr. D. M'Alpine, F.C.S., spoke in complimentary 

 terms of the paper, and referred to the action of carbonate of lime in 

 the preservation of such marks, whilst Mr. F. R. Godfrey, who had 

 seen the slab, bore testimony to the remarkable similarity of the 

 impressions to human footprints. Mr. J. Dennant, F.G.S., however, 

 disputed Mr. Officer's deductions, basing his objections not only on the 

 fact that these dunes were generally formed in a comparatively short 

 time, but also on their position relative to the newer basalt and a 

 fossiliferous bed, both of which are of recent formation. Mr. G. Sweet 

 supported Mr. Dennant, and Messrs. F. G. A. Barnard, C. M. Bridger, 

 and F. Wisewould also joined in the discussion. 



(2) "Maori preserved heads of New Zealand," by T. Steel, F.C.S. 

 Preference was made to the custom of the Maoris in the reverence they 

 pay to their deceased ancestors, and corresponding customs amongst the 

 natives of Africa, New Guinea, New Hebrides, Egypt, ami Australia. 

 The writer then described the method adopted by the Maoris in 

 preserving the heads of distinguished persons, and exhibited a very 

 good specimen in illustration, the age of which could be traced back for 

 ct least 50 years. He concluded by stating the fact that before the 

 head came into his possession it had been neglected, and most of the 

 hair had been destroyed by moths After having kept it some time, he 

 noticed that a thin growth of very fine hair in scattered patches had 

 taken place. In order to gain definite information of future growth the 

 hair has been closely shaved from a marked patch. 



The meeting terminated by the usual exhibition of specimens. 



