OTAGO INSTITUTE.

Evening Star, Issue 3031, 6 November 1872, Page 2

OTAGO INSTITUTE.

A meeting of this body was held on the 29th ult., but owiug to the inclemency of the weather, the attendance of members was small. The Rev. Dr Stuart, Vice-President, occupied the chair. The principal business was the nomination of a Governor of the New Zealand Institute, which resulted in the re-nomination of Mr Justice Chapman. The nomination of an honorary member of the same body was not proceeded with, which is a matter of surprise, seeing that the honor of being classed with such names as Hochstetter, Darwin, Gray, Agassiz, Hooker, Owen, &c., is not an empty one. We believe, however, that advantage may still be taken of the right of nomination, and we hope the matter will not be lost sight of at the next meeting. Mr R. Gillies presented to the Institute the remains of two kiwis, which had been captured on the harbor side, near Burke’s brewery, by a dog of Mr Joseph Drake’s. One of the birds when found was partly devoured, but was still fresh and warm. Mr Gillies stated that, so far as he was aware, this was the first authentic instance on record of the kiwi being found on the eastern coast of the Middle Island ; and that, seeing the birds were running wild, the inference was that in the vast bush extending from the harbor to beyond Blneskin there must, in all likelihood, be other specimens ; and, seeing that they were becoming almost extinct, it might be worth while to consider whether in the interests of science the Institute should not take some steps to let the fact of the existence of these birds in that bush be as widely known as possible to the settlers, with a view to their preservation as much as possible. In the discussion which followed, it was stated that on two or three previous occasions the capture of kiwis in the bush to the north of Dunedin had been reported, and that some specimens, one of which was now in the museum, bad been secured. It was thought that Mr Gillies’s suggestions should be acted upqn. Mr J. S. Webb read a short paper entitled “Notes on plants collected near Invercargill, being the result of an investigation of open tussocky ground between the Puni Greek and the Main East Road for the purpose of comparison with that of similarground elsewhere.” Mr Webb mentioned the curious circu i, stance, that none of the imported plants, including white clover, had been able to make headway against the native vegetation, notwithstanding that cattle were constantly wandering over the ground. It was also stated that the collection included live specimens which had not before been reported as existing in the Province, The -next meeting was fixed for November 19 ; papers will be read by Dr. Deck, Mr Skey, and Mr Webb.