PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 578, 5 August 1909, Page 4

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

AN AEROLITE. 1 Last night's meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society; which was held at th« Dominion Museum, was largely attended. Mr. A. Hamilton presided. . < Mr. J. B. Gatenby, pno of tho youngest mom. bors of the society, read a paper embodying liia original observations on the structures ana habits of an aoarid and of a podura, and exhibited diagrams showing the structuro of tho insects named* An astronomical explanation of tho Flood of Genesis was submitted by Mr. C. W. Adam 9, on behalf of his aged friend, Mr. Edwin Fairburn, who was unable to bo present. Mr. George R. Marriner (Wanganui) read a paper on The Mokoia Aerolite, with a few introductory remarks on New Zealand Meteoro- ■ lites." The accounts of witnesses who saw tho fall, of tho aerolite at Mokoia (between TFangauui and New Plymouth) last November wero quoted and compared by Mr. Marriner. It was stated that the noiso frightened people, and sot cattle and horse's scamping about tho roads and paddocks. Ilad it not been daylight, it was believed that tho lights would have appeared extremely bright. Two pieces of tho moteorolito, weighing about 101b. to--gather, were shown by Mr. Marriner. These, ho said, wero practically tho only pieces that were discovered. Ho showed also: a portion of a pino root, cut opon by one of tho fragments, which glanced off, and buried itself eleven inches in tho ground. Tho reading of the; following papers was postponed, owing to tho lateness of the hour:—,. "A Rely to Mr. Elsdon' Best's Paper on 'Maori Enumeration,'" by Mr. H. Stowolli "Songi's Armour," •by Mr. A. Hamilton; "Notes on a Journey Across tho Taramas, by Mr. B. C. Aston. ', Specimens of coins, mounted so as to afrorJ standards of condition, wero oxhibited by tht presidont.