PREFACE.
The Editor has to acknowledge the assistance of the following gentlemen in revising their papers for the press:—Messrs. Frankland, Kirk, T. W. Kirk, Buchanan, Knight, Skey, Kemp, and Newman.
While doing so he would call the attention of writers to the necessity for great care in preparing their manuscript for the printer. It is impossible that a volume of such varied contents can be entirely free from error, but the difficulty of deciphering manuscript adds much both to the chance of error and the expense of publication. In some cases it has been possible to print papers with any approach to correctness only by a careful study of the author's mode of forming letters, aided by reference to dictionaries and catalogues. A scientific record such as our Transactions is only of value if exact; and the Editor makes these remarks purely with the intention of averting the irritation often caused to writers by the occurrence of mistakes (arising from imperfections in the manuscript), which they are perhaps inclined to attribute to the editing branch of the Institute.
An acknowledgement is due to Mr. Buchanan for drawing the illustrations on stone, and to Mr. Gore for the meteorological record. Also to the officers of the lithographic and photo-lithographic departments, who, by the kind permission of the Colonial Secretary, have assisted in the completion of the plates.
