“Some New Zealand Mineral Oils,”

by Professor T. H. Easterfield and N. McLelland.

Abstract.

A statement was given of the districts in New Zealand in which mineral oils had been found, and the paper also alluded to the attempts to supply mineral oil by the distillation of oil-shales at Orepuki, Southland. The sulphur content of the southern shales was stated to be a very serious objection, and a comparison was given of the properties of Taranaki and Kotuku oil. The former is said to be remarkable in the high content of benzoles and cycloparaffins. The proportion of toluol, used in the manufacture of T.N.T. explosive particularly, was higher than in the case of the light oil from coal-tar. A number of pure chemical compounds taken from Taranaki petroleums were exhibited.

Professor Easterfield stated that, in his opinion, the boring of new wells in Taranaki promised at present greater success than development in any other area, but urged that as a matter of Imperial interest systematic prospecting by bores should be carried out in a number of areas.

“The Quantum Theory,” by Professor P. W. Robertson.

“The Horizontal Pendulum,” by Dr. C. E. Adams.

“The Wet Process of recovering Mercury from Cinnabar,” by W. Donovan. (This paper appears as “Thornhill's Sodium-sulphide Process for the Recovery of Mercury,” in the N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology, vol. 4, pp. 129–34, 1921.)

Discussion on Isotopes in New Zealand Minerals.

At a joint meeting of the Physics and Geology Sections Professor P. W. Robertson introduced the subject by explaining the recent developments in chemistry which had shown that certain elements were mixtures of isotopes, while others were suspected to be mixtures. It would be useful to place on record the occurrences of New Zealand minerals which were available as sources of these suspected mixtures, in order that chemists might know where to turn for material. The subsequent investigations might prove to have fundamental geological significance.

After some discussion it was resolved to set up a committee (see “Resolutions,” below).

“The Transit Micrometer,” by Dr. C. E. Adams.