WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 37, 7 October 1871, Page 3

WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

At the meeting held on Saturday evening, the first paper was by Mr Travers on the habits of birds that frequent the mountains in the interior of the Nelson province, giving some curious information respecting the kaka, weka, and ducks which the author had observed.

Captain Hutton spoke in praise of the paper and especially drew attention to the important bearing on the Darwinian hypothesis of the peculiarity of the whio or blue duck mentioned by Mr Travers, which does not show any solicitude for the safety of its young like other ducks. Now the blue duck is one of the original inhabitants of New Zealand, the genus not being found elsewhere—whereas all the other ducks are found in other countries besides New Zealand. There never having been any destructive animals in New Zealand till man came, this original duck never seems to have acquired instinctive fear, which the ancestors of the other ducks must have acquired by experience in other parts of the world from which they migrated to New Zealand.

Dr Hector stated his experience that wekas were much more easily snared in the South Island than in the North, owing, no doubt, to their greater experience of the treachery of men.

Mr George read the results of experiments he has been making in the gas works in ordor to test the value of the different New Zealand and New South Wales coals for gas-making. The results of his enquiry show that, of all coals he has tried the best is that from the Grey River, if the value of the coke, ease of working, and other circumstances are taken into account; but if mere gas-producing is the test, the Collingwood coal is superior. Both are, however, far in advance of the Sydney coal. He stated as an unusual and interesting fact that the “ slack” of the Grey coal gave more gas and of better quality than the screened coal.

Dr Hector thought that .if the scheme of communication between the coal mine and the port, which Mr Blackett and he had recommended, were adopted, the coal might be put on board at 8s per ton. The quantity ascertained to exist is at least 4,000,000 tons, but there is reason to believe that a much greater extent of the seams will prove to be available when the industry is fairly started. He said Mr George’s results agreed very closely with the results obtained by small experiments in the laboratory, and he had no hesitation in confirming the high opinion of the value of the coal that had been expressed by the author of the paper. The Hon. Mr Waterhouse in his remarks drew attention to the waste of coal that was taking place in various parts of the colony through wilful firing of the seams, and suggested that it might be advisable to have legislation on the subject. Dr. Hector informed the meeting that a coal seam, six miles north of the Grey River, was set fire to by some diggers more than a year ago, and is still burning. A chemical paper by Mr. Skey was then read, after which Dr. Hector described the position of the portion of a wreck of a vessel that was found many years since on the West Coast, near Arnott Point. Portions of the wreck, which had been sent by Mr. Mueller, Chief Surveyor, together with a plan and description of the locality, was on the table. The fragment is 20 feet long, 12 feet broad, and consists of three layers of planking bound together with brass bolts and screw trenells of wood. It lies 300 yards in a direct line from high-water mark, and nearly three-quarters of a mile up from the mouth of a small creek.

Dr Hector said that it could not be very old, and that it showed how rapidly the coast drift formed in some situations, as this wreck must have been cast up when the beach line was less advanced by 300 yards. The difference of level has not been yet ascertained. Mr Waterhouse suggested that it might have been thrown up by an earthquake wave. Dr Hector doubted this, owing to the shape of the coast.

Captain Hutton said we have no evidence of earthquake waves ever reaching New Zealand from the westward, which would be necessary to account for the casting up of this wreck.

An interesting series of specimens illustrating the different stages of development of the brown trout from the egg to the full-grown fish were on the table, having been presented by Mr Howard, the Curator of the Acclimatization Society of Southland. The meeting adjourned at ten o’clock till Saturday, the 14th instant. The Museum was open to the public during the evening, and was well attended. We understand that the flax exhibits will not be much longer on view, and recommend those who have not yet examined it not to let the opportunity pass of viewing the interesting collection.