PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5212, 5 December 1877, Page 3

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

At the Philosophical Society’s meeting on Saturday last the following papers were read:— “ On Nephrodium decompbsitum and N. glabellum,” by T. Kirk, F.L.3. This paper showed that the characters of these two species of ferns had been hitherto confused, and gave fresh descriptions. “ On Hymenophyllnm montanum ; ” a new species, discovered by Mrs. Mason in the mountains between Lake Wakatipu and the West Coast; by T. K. Kirk, F.L.S. In reply to Dr. Duller, the author stated that this was the nineteenth species of Hymenophyllum now discovered in New Zealand. “ On the Relative Ages of the Australian, Tasmanian, and New Zealand Coalfields,” by Dr. Hector, F.R.S. The speaker’s remarks were illustrated by diagrams and maps, and by a large collection of fossils which he had obtained during a recent tour in the Australian colonies. After describing the extent and position of the various coalfields at present worked, he stated that from a comparison of the fossils he had arrived at the following resuits *. Cretaceous epoch : Chief New Zealand coal ; wanting in Tasmanian and Australia, except perhaps in Queensland. Jurassic epoch : Mataura series of New Zealand ; Cape Paterson coalfields of Victoria ; Clarence River coal of New South Wales ; and the coalbeds at Hobarton. Liassic epoch: Clent Hill beds of New Zealand ; wanting in Tasmania and Australia, except Queensland. Triassio epoch ; Wairoa beds of New Zealand; upper coal formation of New South Wales ; and wanting in Tasmania. Permio-carboni-ferous ; Maitai series of New Zealand ; lower coal formation of New South Wales ; Mersey coalfields of Tasmania. This view of the relative ares of those formations had just received remarkable confirmation by a late discovery, Mr. McKay, of the Geological Survey, who has recently been at work in the Canterbury Alps, having found plant beds

beneath the spirifer beds of Mount Potts that are full of the leaves of glossopteris, a fern very characteristic of the upper and middle coal formation of New South Wales, and with them beds of graphite of considerable commercial value, which represents in an altered form the Newcastle coal seams. Along with these occur remains of saurian reptiles of immense size, of which large collections have been made. In conclusion, it was stated that only a very small portion of the area colored on the map of New South Wales as coal formation, contained valuable coal seams, and that they were not without drawbacks. At Newcastle, where the principal collieries are situated, the seams have to be worked to an increasing depth by shafts, and require pumping. In the southern coalfield, the coal is worked by adits into the face of the mountain, and lowered by steep inclines in the same manner as our own Buller coal will bo worked ; but it has to be shipped from an exposed coast. The western district coal has all to he carried over the Blue Mountains by a railway that ascends and descends by zigzags, that answers well enough for passengers and light traffic, but must he rather costly for transporting coal. Dr, Hector stated that all he had seen increased his confidence in the value of our West Coast coalfields, both as regards the quality and extent of the coal and the facilities for working it. . Br. Hector next described various recent additions to the Museum, which were exhibited; —(1.) Ventral spines of a species of Banks’ oar fish He;/nl!ais rjladius, recently cast up in the Farewell Spit, and presented by Mr. H. B Wilson. Unfortunately, the whole of this rare species had not been hut a full-sized drawing was shown. It is like the frost fish, but 13 feet long, and one foot deep, with a high crest over the head, and the ventral fins reduced to two long rays or spines, which are elongated above the body, and furnished with an oval expansion of membrane at the tip. The colors of the fish are very bright and metallic. (2.) A specimen of the sea trout (S/tlmo trutla), caught with rod and artificial fly in the Tasmanian fish ponds, was shown, and compared with specimens at all stages of growth of the same fish reared in New Zealand. The distinct manner in which the specific characters were preserved in them, and also in a number of brown trout also exhibited, is opposed to the theory advanced by some that the Tasmanian fish are being hybridized. Some other interesting fish were also exhibited, forming a small part of a large collection presented by Mr. William Macleay, F. 8.5., of Sydney. An interesting series of gem sands from

Madges and the diamond drift of Biugera from Professor Liversidge, aud also specimens illustrating Ida discovery of the formation of moss gold by the action of gentle heat on arsenical iron pyrites, specimens of the recently found native Bismuth and tin ore of Tasmania were al-o exhibited.