WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4165, 27 July 1874, Page 2

WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

The second meeting of the season of this Society was held on Saturday evening, in the Maori House; the President, Dr. Knight, in the chair. PRESENTATIONS. A number of valuable presentations were on the table, among them a magnificent folio volume of the flora of Central Africa, presented by J. A. Tinne, Esq., of Ayburth, near Liverpool. STEW MEMBERS. After the minutes had been read and confirmed, the Secretary announced that the following gentlemen had been elected members of the Society since the last meeting':—Mr. E. 0. Gibbes, Mr. T. E. Young, Captain Gudgeon, and Mr. A. J. Woodhouse, of London. CRUISE OF H.M.B. CHALLENGER. Dr. Hector drew attention to the articles with which the museum had been enriched by the officers of H.M.S. Challenger. These consisted of specimens of different fishes, &c. The first was that of a large fish, the Oeratodus or Barramunda, of the Queensland Hirers. This was a vegetable feeder, living on decayed gum leaves ; it was good eating, somewhat like the salmon. It possesses certain characteristics of amphibious animals, although a perfect fish, and is remarkable for possessing a double-breathing apparatus, having both gills and a lung. The Challenger, after leaving the Cape of Good Hope, went as far south as 67deg., close to the ice barrier, and visited Kerguelen Land, where the interesting photographic views now exhibited had been taken. An interesting point, illustrated by microscopic specimens on the table, is that at a depth of 2600 fathoms, close to the ice, the sea bottom is composed of silicious diatoms, while in the same depth further north the deposit is formed of calcareous foraminifera. The latter appear- to be dissolved in the cold polar under-current, so that when these are reached, in the deep soundings in more temperate latitudes, only a fine mud is found, composed of the small percentage of insoluble matter which the calcareous skeletons contain. In taking soundings for the telegraph line, the Challenger ran a straight course from Sydney to Cook Strait. On leaving the Australian coast, the soundings showed a gentle gradient to the great depth of 2600 fathoms, which, with only one shoal, was carried to within a few hundred miles of our coast, where the soundings rather suddenly decreased from 15,000 to 4000 feet. This submarine precipice lies about 300 miles from land, opposite Cape Farewell, but there is reason to believe that further south it approaches the coast, and at Milford Sound close to the shore. On this plateau the dredge was used, and some interesting specimens obtained. Of these, several new species of fish had been handed to Dr. Hector for description, which he exhibited, pointing out their character at length. They comprised among others Trachichthys intermedius, Scorpwna rarathri, Platystethus abtiviatus, Macrurus armatus, Ehombosolea hoops, &c. Dr. Hector also, in passing, described several other new fish ; among these were Plectropoma huntii, from the Chatham Islands, Mucroliats vorcalis from Preservation Inlet, a former specimen of which was obtained in Milford Sound in 1863, and Jleptoscopus robinsoni, from Cape Campbell. He also exhibited two fine specimens of the New Zealand Awcet (a bird with a very remarkable bill that turns upwards), and a specimen of ProccUaria lesson i, a sea bird, of which only one specimen appeare to have been formerlyobtamed in New Zealand. PAPERS BEAD. Mr. J. C. Crawford read a paper on the question,—"Did the great Cook Strait river run N.W. or S.E. ?" After which Mr. Hood read a paper on "The hot winds of Australia having influence on the climate of New Zealand." These papers gave rise to animated discussion, in which Mr. Mantell, the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse, Hon. Capt. Fraser, Mr. Webb, M.H.R., and Dr. Hector took part, but owing to the very limited space at our command, we are unable to give an outline of the arguments or facts adduced in support of the different views entertained by the various speakers. The meeting adjourned at ten o'clock till Saturday week.