NOTE 



The Papers contained in this Volume have been read at 

 various times before the Philosophical Society of Victoria^ 

 from its inauguration in August, 1854, to its amalgamation 

 with the Victorian Institute, and this volume is the first and 

 only one of the kind that has ever been issued in Victoria. 

 Perhaps some of the Articles are not exactly similar in their 

 character to the publications of like Societies in Europe, yet 

 it is hoped that the many facts now collected in this form 

 will be found useful to those whose pursuits are in any way 

 connected with scientific investigations. 



The Papers refer chiefly to matters of practical import- 

 ance to the colony, but as they also contain recent discove- 

 ries in Geology, Botany, and Zoology, they will be read with 

 eqn^l interest in other countries, altogether apart from 

 their value as records of the advances made by the Colony In 

 these departments of science. 



The names of the various contributors are attached to their 

 productions, and they are each individually responsible for 

 their opinions — the Society, in no case, having pledged Itself 

 to support or verify these opinions. 



It is probable that trifling errors may be discovered in the 

 text, but as some of the members were absent while their 

 papers were passing through the press, these must not be too 



