HAWKE'S BAY PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3237, 15 November 1881, Page 4

HAWKE'S BAY PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE.

Last night this Society held their last Ordinary Meeting for the year and season. We had hoped to see a larger gathering of members and their friends on this occasion ; nevertheless all were gratified on again seeing the President of the Society,' the Rt. Rev. tbe Bishop of Waiapu, in the Chair; and some of the older members also, who have scarcely ever been absent for a single night from any meeting, as Dr Spencer, and Messrs Holder and Sturm ; the Rev. Mr Hovell, and Mr Bold, V.P., we also noticed; and last, thoHgh not least, a goodly number of ladies, whom we were again right glad to see there, among •whom were Mrs Hovell and Mrs May, who with her younp; ladies are never absent. Well and truly might the Hon. Secretary, at the close, say, that the thanks of the Institute were due to Mrs May and to the other ladies, for their kind support throughout the session now closed; for they were the real Patronesses of the Society. The business ot the evening was the reading of two short scientific papers by the Hon. Secretary Mr Oolenso : -ooe, " A Description of some New Zealand Plants, discovered and now described by him,"—and one, " A Description of two New Zealand shells," which he also had discovered many yearß ago, but were still, seemingly, unknown to the sjientific world. Specimens of both Plants and Shells were also shown. After the 2 Papers came a large miscellaneous lot of natural " Exhibits" of various kinds; comprising a great number of curious and interesting Cryptogamous Plants, collected by Mr Colenso in the 70-mile Bush ; some of them were really gems of beauty, eliciting no small amount of admiration. There were, also, some fine and peculiar N.Z. Insects, both preserved dry and in spirits; some large Land Shells, from the Northern parts of the Island ; and two remarkable fossil teeth of some unknown Mammal, obtained from a great depth in sinking an Artesian well; these were a great curiosty, as all remains of animals of the great Class Mammalia, found in a fossil state in New Zealand, must ever be, Where none, save a rat and a bat, were certainly known to have existed. The Hon. Secretary informed us, that the Society was largely indebted to some kind and zealous Country Members for several of the interesting curios this evening shown. He mentioned, particularly, Mr John Stewart of Takapau, Mr G. W. Tiffen of Edenham, and Mr John Drummond of Ongaonga, who, each, had contributed not a few of the Insects and Ferns, &c, exhibited. The whole display of natural History specimens was fittingly wound up with a fine living Green Lizard, which ran about the table ! no doubt, astonished at both gas-light and the company —including the young ladies, who seemed much pleased, and who rose in a body (and that without screaming) to welcome the Btranger. This Lizard is tbe largest we have ever seen of that peculiar species, and was sent to the Hoo. Secretary by Mr Balfour of Glenross, — another Country Member. It is, indeed, a highly pleasing feature of this Society, to find Members residing a long way off in the Country so mindful of their fellow-Members meeting together in the town : and the vote of thanks so freely given, they richly deserved. A cordial vote of thanks to Mr Colenso the Honorary Secretary, for his Papers and numerous exhibits, was proposed by Dr. Spencer, seconded by Mr Sturm, "and supported by the President the Bishop of Waiapu, and awarded unanimously. The usual vote of thanks, proposed by Mr Holder, terminated the proceedings.