322 
PROCEEDINGS OE SECTION C. 
first few paragraphs of their paper. As such an act, we consider, 
would be manifestly discourteous on our part, we cannot pass this by 
without a reply. 
In the first place we desire to state that when we first visited the 
district in June. 1892, we had not the slightest idea that anyone else 
was working in the same field, the latest reference to the glacial beds 
that we knew of being that of Mr. Dunn. Subsequently on our 
second visit we were introduced to Mr. Brittlebank, and learned for the 
first time that Mr. Sweet had been in the district before us. Neither 
of us were at that time acquainted with Mr. Sweet; and Mr. Brittle- 
bank, though we informed him of the object of our visit, never gave 
us the slightest hint that they were working together with a view to 
publishing the results of their observations. 
Messrs. Sweet and Brittlebank’s prior claim would appear to be 
based on the fact that a few members of the Field Naturalists’ Club 
of Victoria, including Mr. Sweet, made one of their periodical excur- 
sions to the locality in October, 1891, under the leadership of Mr. A. 
J. Campbell, Mr. Brittlebank acting as guide. Messrs. Sweet and 
Brittlcbank say : — u We then commenced and have since continued 
working together, with the intention of making the results of our 
investigatioiis kuown at as early a date as possible, and as much was 
hinted by tlie leader of the excursion above referred to in his report 
to the Field Naturalists’ Club.” On referring to the report in 
question we find the “hint” referred to consists of the words: — 
“ Some instructive geological notes bearing upon the locality, and 
remarks upon impressions of leaves and fruits will be probably offered 
by Mr. Sweet on another occasion.” Mr. Sweet also exhibited, at a 
subsequent meeting of the club, “pebbles, probably glaciated, from 
Myrniong.” [The italics are ours.] 
Surely no one would seriously imagine that a brief reference, in 
the report of an excursion of a Naturalists’ Society, to the probability 
of future geological notes being submitted, which are not expressly 
stated as intended to relate to the glacial beds, and the exhibition of a 
probably glaciated stone, would establish a prior claim to the working 
of the glacial geology of the district. If, as they state, they were 
working together with the intention of publishing their results as soon 
as possible, it is indeed a strange and unaccountable circumstance that 
Mr. Brittlebank, although we saw him frequently, and although con- 
siderable correspondence passed between him and one of the writers, 
never gave us the slightest bint that such was the case. On the con- 
trary, he appeared to he quite anxious that we should read our paper 
as soon as possible ; and, some little time after our paper had been read, 
be agreed to collaborate with ourselves in working at the geology of 
the district. It was not till the following February that one of the 
writers, who was then in Tasmania, received a letter from Mr. Brittle- 
bank stating that someone was going to publish the latter’s notes. 
"We afterwards learned that he and Mr. Sweet intended working 
together, but this was not until seven months had elapsed since our 
paper was read before the Royal Society of Victoria. 
From these facts, we cannot think that we have been in the very 
least to blame in trespassing on a prior claim. We indeed acknow- 
ledge frankly that Mr. Brittlebank had long before recognised the 
