transit of Venus obtained support because one main object of them was to determine with greater accuracy the sun's distance from the earth, and this was easily recognised as a basic fact in astronomy. Moreover, when a new fact of widespread significance to science was discovered it was difficult to be sure that practical benefit might not rapidly ensue. The President said that such an expedition would be of the very greatest importance and benefit. There are many questions of great interest awaiting the results of such an expedition. He mentioned the great abundance of cetacean life that would be met with: surely there must be some opening for commerce in this direction. General Schaw, in reply, said, no doubt those in command of such an expedition would be selected from the older countries, and not from the colonies. Unfortunately, the whales met with in these parts were not the most valuable whales. He considered that the motion of the ice was caused by currents and not by winds—there were strong polar currents. A slight shifting of the pole would have a great effect. 2. “The Ultimate Problem of Philosophy,” by W. W. Carlile, M.A. (Transactions, p. 74) Sir James Hector complimented the author for his interesting paper. It was difficult to discuss a subject of this kind without having carefully read the paper. There were one or two things in the paper that he could not agree with; but time would not permit of their being gone into. He supposed it was Mr. Carlile's parting shot at evolution (as Mr. Carlile is leaving the colony shortly). Mr. Tregear said that he considered the reading and discussion of such papers perfectly futile, and that, they would in no way disturb the position of the evolutionists. Mr. Harding thought the paper a good one, and he agreed generally with Mr. Carlile; but there was nothing very new brought forward in this paper. Mr. Hudson thought Mr. Carlile's allusions as to the origin of the sense of beauty in animals was a strong point in his paper. Although fully believing in Darwin's theory of sexual selection, he thought that that theory implied a sense of beauty in female animals that it was difficult to account for. General Schaw said the line of argument adopted by the lecturer was somewhat difficult to follow, and required time for consideration; but he could well believe that it might convince some minds which were dissatisfied with the argument from design. The latter line of argument was, he thought, more generally useful, and, although for a time discredited, it was now reasserting itself strongly, and had been used most powerfully by Sir George Stokes in some of his recent lectures. The President said that, although he might not agree with Mr. Carlile on many points, yet he considered the paper most lucid, and very interesting. Mr. Carlile, in reply, said, with reference to Sir James Hector's description of his paper as “a parting shot at evolution,” he must draw attention to the fact that he had treated evolution as an established doctrine. What he thought was altogether fallacious was what was called agnosticism—the notion that the world could be regarded as a watch, but without any maker. He felt sure that in twenty years' time it would be thought incredible that any one should ever have entertained such a conception of the universe. 3. “On Cordiceps robertsii,” by H. C. Field. (Transactions, p. 623.)