PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4336, 11 February 1875, Page 3

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

A meeting of the Philosojihical Society was held last evening, at the Maori House attached to the Colonial Museum, Dr. Hector in the chair. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, I)r. Hector read the following ANNUAL REPORT. The council feel that they can fairly congatulate the society upon its prosperous condition, not only in regard to the great increase in the number of members but upon the growing interest taken in the work of the society, as indicated by the largeattendancc at the meetings during the past session, and/by the number of interesting papers read and discussed by members. There are now IGI names on the books, twenty-two new members having been elected since January, 1874. Seven general meetings were held, and thirtytwo papers read on the following subjects : Geology.—l. Did Groat Cook Iliver run N.W. or SE., Mr. Crawford. 2. .On the Tertiary Series of Wangarui, Mr. Purnell. 3. On the Microscopic Structure of the Igneous rocks of N.Z., Diehard Daintree. 4. On the Pliestocene Glaciatiori of New Zealand, Mr. Travers. 5. Changes in the Physical Geography of New Zealand since the arrival of the Maoris, Mr. Hood, Zoology.—l Description of Fish, presented to , Museum by Professor Wyvillo Thomson, Dr. Hector. 2. On New Fish and Birds from Chatham Islands, Dr. Hector. 3. On Certain Disputed Points in New Zealand Ornithology, Dr. Duller. 4. On New Zealand Whales, Dr. Hector. 5. On Plotus Nowe Hollandice, Dr. Duller, Botany.—l. On a New' Species of Rubus, by Mr. Buchanan. 2. On the Durability of New Zealand Timber, Mr. Buchanan. 3. On Juncus Camproearpus and a New Species of Isoetes, Mr. Kirk. 4. On New Species of Mosses, Dr. Knight. 5. Flow'ering Plants and Ferns of Chatham Islands, Mr. Buchanan. C. Description of New Zealand Lichens. Dr. Knight. 7. Two Plants New to New Zealand, Lcpiiama Preissii and Carox Chlorantha, Mr.'Kirk. Meteorology.—l. On the Solar Radiation in New’ Zealand, Mr. Rous Marten. 2. On the Hot Winds of Australia, and their Influence on the Climate of New Zealand, Mr. Hood. 3. On the Hot Winds of Canterbury, Mr. McKay. Chemistry.—Five papers pointing out certain new discoveries in chemistry, Mr. Skey. Miscellaneous.—l. On Ergot in Rye, Dr. Hector. 2, On portion of Wreck found at the Haast River, Captain Turnbull. 3. On the Identity of .the Moa Hunters with the present Maori Race. Mr. McKay. 4. On Maori Traditions respecting the Moa, Mr. Hamilton. 5. On the Longitude of Wellington Observatory, Captain Nares, of H.M.S. Challenger. C. On Duplex system of Telegraphy, Mr. Lemon. These papers will all appear either in the Proceedings or Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, contained in Vol, VII , which is now’ going through the press. The following publications have been added to the library, either as presentations or by purchase : 1. Proceedings of the Geological Society of Florence, 8 vols. 2. Publications of the Geological Survey of India, 85 parts. 3. Scientific publications from Stockholm, 18 parts. 4. Reports and Proceedings of Smithsonian Institute, 20 parts. 5. Reports of Department of Agriculture of Victoria, 1 part. C. Proceedings of Victorian Zoological and Acclimatisation Society, 2 parts. 7. Reports of Mining Department of Victoria, 4 parts. S. Publications of Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College, 4 parts, 0. Work on Forestry, by —, 1 vol. 10. Geographical Distribution of Mammals, by Murray, 1 vol. 11. Gould's Handbook of Birds of Australia, 2 vols. 12. Birds of Central Polynesia, 1 vol 13. Zoological Records, 1804 to 1808, 5 vols. 14. Proceedings of Zoological Society, 3 vols. 15. Journals of Royal Society, Tasmania, 2 vols. 10, Geological Reports from Vienna, 8 vols.

The council consider that the way of disposing of a portion of the large balance now standing to the credit of the society (as shown by the statement of accounts about to be read) is by purchasing good standard works of reference, and they have embraced the opportunity of Dr. Hector’s visit to England to request that gentleman to select such books as he thinks suitable for our library. This Dr. Hector has kindly consented to do, and the Council have therefore placed at his disposal the sum of £IOO for the purpose. We may therefore hope soon to have a useful library of reference on all brandies of science. There is also every reason to suppose that when the extensive additions to the Colonial Museum are completed, arrangements may be made with the governors of the New Zealand Institute whereby the society maybe enabled to secure within its walls increased, accommodation, both as regards the library and for the holding of evening meetings. The balance-sheet showed a sum to the credit of the society of £162 ss. Bd., after defraying all expenses. Mr. Kirk moved the adoption of the report, and thought the society was to be congratulated upon its satisfactory condition. Mr. Mantell seconded the motion, which was put and agreed to.

The Chairman announced that Professor Wyville Thomson, Professor Newton, of Cambridge, and Robert McLauchlan, Esq., of Loudon, all of whom had taken a great interest in New Zealand science, and added to the literature on the subject, had been elected members of the society. The election of governors had not yet been decided, as there had been a tie in the votes given for the gentlemen nominated. The election of officers for the ensuing term was then proceeded with. The Chairman proposed that Dr. Buller be elected to the office of President for the ensuing two years. In support of the motion Dr. Hector said he considered the society fortunate in securing Dr. Buller’a services for the office. That gentleman had recently returned from England, where he had achieved a wellearned fame amongst scientific men by the production of his recent work on “ The Birds of New Zealand,” in regard to which he need say nothing, as the merits of the work were well known and generally recognised throughout New Zealand. The compliment they were about to bestow upon Dr. Buller was well deserved, not only 'on account of his recent book, but also on account of his efforts to establish the New Zealand Institute, of which he was for some time secretary. His election would therefore justly mark those early efforts in the cause of science in New Zealand, when it was not so much advanced as it was now.

The motion was put and agreed to. The election of the remaining office-bearers was then proceeded with, the complete list being as follows : President, Dr. Buller, D.Sc., F.L.S., E.G.S.; Vice-Presidents, J. 0. Crawford, F.G.S.,and W. T. L.Travers,F.G.S. ; Council, Hon. W. B. D. Mantell, F.G.S., Professor Kirk, F.L.S., J. R. George, C. C. Graham, Captain Edwin, J. Marchant, H. Logan; Auditor, Mr. A. Baker; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. R. B. Gore. Mr. Travers, before the business of the annual meeting concluded, proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Gore, who had acted as secretary during the past year. The care with which Mr. Gore had kept the accounts of the society and superintended the collection of its money, had earned their thanks, and that recognition which could only be conveyed by a complimentary vote. Mr. George seconded the motion, though he confessed ho would have been much better pleased had the motion embraced a proposal to add ten guineas to the vote. Mr. Gore having thanked Mr. Travers and Mr. George for their expression of opinion in regard to his efforts, It was resolved that a vote of thanks to Mr. Gore be recorded in the minutes, for his services rendered to the society during the past year. This concluded the business of the annual meeting. The business for transaction before the ordinary meeting was then proceeded with, Mr. Travers being in the chair. The following papers were read : 1. Further proofs of the existence of the Great Cook River. 2. Notes by Dr, Von Martems, of Berlin, on “ Hutton’s Catalogue of Mollusca.’l 3. Notes by Dr. Buller, on Some Additions to the Collection of Birds in the Colonial Museum. 4. Additional notes on New Zealand fishes, by Dr. Hector. 5. Further notes on the Whales of New Zealand, by Dr. Hector. Sir David Munro, referring to Dr. Buller’s Notes on Birds, observed that one of the acclimatisation societies in the colony proposed to introduce tho swallow. It might be interesting to know that swallows had been seen several times in Nelson, but that they did not remain there, probably on account of their not being able t« procure proper food. Dr. Buller read an extract from his work on the Birds of New Zealand, which proved

that a swallow which had been shot in New Zealand was identical with the tree swallow of Australia, a migratory bird which travelled a distance of 1000 miles at certain seasons, and regularly visited Tasmania. Mr, Travers, before the close of the meeting, took the opportunity to observe that the cause of science generally in New Zealand would be greatly advanced by Hr. Hector’s visit to Europe, especially as he would take with him a large and valuable collection of specimens of natural history and other objects. He very much feared that the voyage, which afforded a great deal of leisure to most people, instead of being a rest to him, would be attended with a very great deal more labor than if he were to remain at home. However, with Hr. Hector it -would be a labor of love, and he knew by the valuable assistance Hr. Hector had rendered the colony, that he would be a welcome guest amongst those gentlemen at home who took an interest in all scientific matters concerning New Zealand. He was sure they all wished Hr. Hector “God speed," and trusted they would soon see him back again, to take that active part in assisting to develope the natural resources of the colony, from which so much advantage had been derived in the past. Hr. Hector briefly returned thanks for the kind wishes expressed, intimating at the same time that he hoped to return before very long with a handsome collection for the Museum, . in exchange for the specimens he was about to take Homo with him. The meeting then broke up.