WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4833, 18 September 1876, Page 2

WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

A meeting of the above society was held in the lecture hall of the Museum on Saturday evening, the President, Dr. Buller, C.M.G., in the chair. There was a good attendance of members, and the table was covered with an unusual number of interesting exhibits. After the minutes of the previous meeting had been read aud confirmed, the Secretary announced the election of Mr. J. H. Wallace as a member of the society. The President said that before proceeding with the ordinary business, he wished to congratulate the society onthereturnaraongst them of their former President, Dr, Hector. Since his last appearance at these meetings Dr. Hector had been all round the world, aud had visited the principal Continental museums. Having done good work for the colony at Home, and having attended the Philadelphia Exhibition as our representative, he had now returned to his old post, looking certainly none the worse for his trip, and no doubt brimful of interesting information on every variety of subject. Dr. Hector had kindly consented to give a brief account of what he had seen and done during the past eighteen months at the close of the meeting. (Cheers.) The first three papers read were on botanical subjects, by Mr. J. Buchanan, F.L.S., the titles being—l. “On a new species of Gnaphalium." 2. “On Panax crassifolium." 3. “ On Panax longissimum.” The next paper (read by the Hon. Mr. Mantell) was a lengthy dissertation by Dr. Curl, of Rangitikei, “ On the grasses and other herbage plants that might be introduced with advantage into New Zealand.” On the motion of Mr. Kirk, the discussion on this paper was reserved for the next meeting. Mr. J. C. Crawford read a paper “On the probable reasons why few fossils are found in the Upper Palaeozoic and possible Triassic rooks of New Zealand,” in the course of which he stated that so far as he was aware no fossils, with the exception of a few impressions of plants, had ever been discovered in this formation in New Zealand, aud that if such fossils did really exist, it yet remained for some scientific explorer to claim the credit of so important a discovery. The Hon. Mr. Mantell, on being invited by the President to take up the debateahle matter, said be would reserve his remarks till Mr. Crawford had succeeded in “ throwing some light ” on the subject. Dr. Hector said he had listened with much interest to the paper read by Mr. Crawford, whose geological researches in the North Island entitled his views to considerable respect, but that it was evident he had overlooked the existence of fossils in the formations referred to.

which was perhaps owing to their very small size. That they did exist in New Zealand was an undoubted fact, and the Colonial IVluseum contained a large series of them, collected by Mr. Cox, the Assistant Geologist, and Mr. Mackay of the Survey department. Mr. Cox said that he had collected large numbers of these fossils himself, and that there .was no doubt whatever of their belonging to the Upper Paleozoic rocks. ■ Mr. Crawford, in reply, said he was glad his paper had drawn forth such a decided statement on the question of the existence of these fossils in New Zealand, and he trusted that the observations of Dr. Hector and Hr. Cox had thrown the light on the subject that Mr. Mantell was waiting for. . Mr. Kirk read a paper on a new species of Sumex. . , , Dr. Bdller read portions of a lengthy paper “On the Ornithology of New Zealand, m continuation of the article on the same subject which appeared in last years volume of “Transactions.” The paper contained numerous interesting observations on the habits and natural economy of the native birds, together with other matter of a strictly scientific character, which the author did not think it necessary to read, as the treatise was intended for publication. Mr. Travers said that he could corroborate in several particulars the observations recorded by the President. He entirely agreed with the author as to the undesirability of destroying the harrier, which is in reality a very useful bird to the agriculturist. He had devoted some attention to the subject, and had dissected many specimens, the conclusion arrived at bein'* that the harrier subsists almost entirely on rats, mice, and lizards. He could also confirm from personal observation what the President had said about the increase of Ocydromus earli, which was formerly a scarce bird in this part of the island, but has of late years become so plentiful that he had actually heard of its appearance in the streets of Wellington. With regard to Pkalacrocorax fmschi, he had very little doubt in his own mind that the bird he had seen on Lake Tarawera, as mentioned by the dent, was the bird described by Mr. Sharpe under the above name. He" was unable to obtain a specimen of this shag, but he distinctly observed that it had a large patch of white on each wing.

The President made some general remarks in reply, referring particularly to the operations of acclimatisation societies, and to the mistaken zeal with which some of the indigenous birds were hunted down ; after which he°introduced the lecturer, who was received with cheers.

Dr. Hector commenced by thanking the President for the kind terms in which he had welcomed him back to the Society. He then expressed bis deep obligation .to the Hon. Mr. Mantell who during his protracted absence from the colony had voluntarily and without emolument carried on the department, accepting the whole of the responsibility, and performing duties of a multifarious and very laborious kind. He next called attention to the numerous exhibits on the table, for the bulk of which he ■was indebted to the liberality of Captain Dow, C.H.Z.S., of the City of Sydney ; also, to a magnificent orchid (Dendrobium tohai), standing 2ft. high and in full flower, which was also the gift of Captain Dow. This plant was particularly interesting from the circumstance that the New Zealand flora contains a very diminutive representative of the genus. He pointed also to skins of a remarkable bird from the Farallon Islands, together with a fine series of their eggs, larger than a turkey’segg, beautifully colored and marked, and exhibiting a marvellous variety of character, some being creamy white, others green or blue, and others brown. He mentioned that 18,000 dozen of these eggs are annually taken to the San Francisco market, where they are sold for 18d. a dozen. It is computed that 100,000 of these birds breed every season on the islands. He exhibited also a specimen of the tropical booby {Sula fusca), which was captured one day on the yardarm of the ship, and forthwith sacrificed to science; also, the head of a leather turtle (Sphards coriacea), the owner of which must have weighed not less than onethird of a ton. After a passing reference to a beautiful white land shell (a species of Bulimus) from the Solomon Islands, and a remarkable water-snake (Pdamys), which exhibited the peculiar characteristic of a vertically flattened tail, for the purpose of aiding its progression through the water, he pointed to a collection of birds from Vancouver's Island and North California, which he had been fortunate enough to obtain for the Museum. There were also some other American birds. He intended to hand all these over to Dr. Duller for examination and identification, and would therefore only refer now to one of them—a very beautifully colored woodpecker (Colaptes Mexicanus), which possessed a spiuy-shafted tail, expressly adapted to the climbing habits of the bird. In fact it held on by its legs and tail while hammering at the tree with its powerful beak in search for its food. In addition to these things he had brought a fine collection of shells from California, which would be valuable for comparison with our own molluscan fauna. Dr. Hector then proceeded to give an account of his recent trip to England, and of its results from a scientific point of view. He had succeeded in making some valuable exchanges with the British Museum. Only part of the collections so obtained had reached the colony, but there were twelve pr fourteen large cases now on their way out. The fossils taken Home by him had been carefully studied and classified by Professor Etheridge, who was permitted by Professor Ramsay, of the School of Mines, to devote a considerable amount of time to this work. The results would be very valuable, as placing the researches of the geological survey, in this respect, on a thoroughly sound and reliable basis. In the next place he had visited all the museums where he could obtain material for ethnological investigation, as he considered that this would be very interesting as bearing on the question of the origin of the Maori race. He had endeavored to interest ethnologists at Home in this question, and the practical outcome had been the valuable treatise by Mr. Vaux, which appeared in last year’s volume of “ Transactions of the New Zealand Institute.” He had occupied one of the rooms in Westminster Chambers, where ho opened and examined a large number of cases lent to him for that purpose by the British Museum authorities. Among the rest, he had opened a hermetically sealed case, supposed to have been brought home by Captain Cook after one of his voyages to New Zealand, and subsequently handed over to the Museum by the Admiralty. This case contained native weapons and carvings; but the most interesting of these was a taiaha with a bunch of feathers at the top, among which he detected what appeared to be a moa’s feather. This specimen was afterwards submitted to Mr. Sharpe, Professor Newton, and Mr. Sclator, all of whom pronounced it the feather of a struthious bird, more allied in character to the ostrich than the emu. There was also a common pawa shell fish-hook, to which were attached some feathers with a distinct after-plume—a character not possessed hy any existing bird. The evidence thus obtained ho considered very valuable, as showing that the moa existed down to the period when these comparatively modern implements were in use by the Maoris. In addition to ransacking museums for every tiling of local interest, ho had attended the various meetings of learned societies, and the annual gatherings of the British Association, where he had done all in his power to promote a feelingof interest in the colony, and to make known its great natural resources. Just as he was preparing to leave England, ho received instructions from the Government to visit America for the purpose of representing the colony at the Philadelphia Exhibition. He characterised this as the most wonderful industrial collection that the world had over seen, occupying in space an area about equal to Hyde Park, and embracing exhibits in such number and variety that it would take months even to get a cursorv glance at them. The Agricultural Hall 'alone was a sight which would attract visitors from all parts of the globe, and was a perfect marvel of what could he_ accomplished in the way of national exhibitions. The lecturer concluded with a somewhat de-

tailed account of the New Zealand Courts occupying a apace about equal to the lecture-hall in which the meeting was being held, although somewhat narrower, and holding a very creditable position in the group of colonies represented at the Exhibition. He mentioned the objects which appeared to attract most attention, and referred particularly to the fine collection of Maori exhibits forwarded by Mr. Richard Woon, R.M., of Wanganui. The President asked for a cordial vote of thanks to Dr. Hector for his entertaining and instructive address, which was carried by acclamation.