WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 4908, 14 December 1876, Page 6

WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

» . |. ,yI A meeting' of the above society was heldin 1 the lecture halft at!the" Colonial Museum, on s Saturday evening,' Dec. 9', the' President; Dr. s Duller, C.M.,€r.y.in ; the chair,. There’was a I good attendance of ipembers., ■ rrf minutes ‘ 6/C. .ttie.. form?;' meeting > Ead .'heenlifi'adlahdconfirmed. the.Seoretary ) annoujsced;ttie> election*of) theifollo.wing new s members:—Captain Eowan, of Taranaki, and r : PvSmi(ii,''Esq.i'Of WqUifigton., . . . Mr. Tbavebs said- that .before the ordinary \ business was proceeded he wished to lqy r on the ( table; V'foi'- ■ the' * inspection > of- members,' ; some f specimens of a smail,brown beetle which isvpry j destructive’td : the" young j fruit"ih"the'gardens ■ andiorchards.u He/exhibited-also, some-sniall i green.appleq \with, the ,pkin.. Jb|ighted, andjdiaj { cblbrbd'oWmg of this'beetle! . He also (wifctie'd tb tu mehtion , 'ah'6theif fact, in ; natural history which ~~h«d recently cpme r i under fus observation.' :"He had for some time ‘ i large., species pf,-,yellow slug I 'infesting the heath's in his greenhouse, their > 'slimy tracks being visible everywhere. He ; i was at first iineUied to" destroy-them, but on j more, closely hs<j4fe. i ; covered that they, .were in, reality, scavengers, . laud were c6&pletbly‘ble'ansing*the plants of a i disgustingsdittle-‘aphis;-. whichi-M hadi been s : appeared to be, >■ I • j it'; fee T di3g 'with /avidity'from W-pbt- of-’lard, “ scooping up thefatty matter'in a very, femai-k'- ; able [way. b.cHe 'mfght' also' add'that pn raentionihg'the t bifoiihist'ahce'‘to'Mr : .'Martia-ohap- [ wvmv Ohs’ serration 1 ini the'habits' bt' th’s. slug, which had entirely cleansbdsdme'rbseplahts of the swairnis ) of aphides which infested 1 them! _ s i hibit'ecT' by Mr.'Travers "had been Known, in? ] Wellington,for a period , of eight years,, and V ittiat Mr! 1 Huntly had! called - attention ji£yi^iiei't^pii|'tbe^iug‘{^dt:!,• , i ! Dr. BuLLEE 'aMd.tnatTMr/Huntly had read' L ia'paper op !!the;,Bubjbc,£! j J which' was illustrated by a series of specimen's i I npw,m,the T Colonial Museum, s -howiver,;. wtis ! far". from, being .exhausted.' * He > considered chihmuhicatidnsbf.this kind yaluable • ito the society,,became after j. 1 all a m^re' r 'wAch; .^bos^. ■ 'described’by Myk.-Trayefe.,fjX’,|'|j^ J g/j' ' “,‘ i ‘ : ! Mr.. ,KIEK i eaid':; that! at ' the "request ,p£,the f (Presidenthe Kim i, 'attention!'ijf l!ndemherß’tp a beautiful .pot-plant,-, ft WraVHd^.^i^y'iHpri^iy^o^napeb^pi,'. ft It - ■ 1/ from "a' peVuiiarity-jin .its' 'legumes', ’whioh'are s coiled,round .in the ’form of,a disk.yithrcohe-,. tetitf Inner/.margins.'r/,'phis .was"! the,fust-,tf me I jhe had met I with‘'tbla < plant 'in. the'colbny.''' C ft ArcMeaeon r Sibck';fead' a ‘paper “ On the i 'Longitude of 'WelEngtbn 'Observafory," !-which, i- jwas .followed interesting-,dispusaibn,'in ' which - ' Mr!,-ThpmspriJ.. Dr.,! Hector,, andj,theft .r pj<-ff-fT'OT ’ h (yS / t,’ ;. [ : la reply to a.qupstion from Mr.yTHOMSON as; i: W whether’Ee had compared the perabhal.equa-! ; tipn, the .author stated .that pemohal erfbr -was ~ \ never-more .thajnf pue-third of fl, second,; and'i L that he considered absolute longitude a maths' inatical impossibility- -VIV. .Vi ,v> J. J ■ Mr, .THOJisqif-.said that-.it ,was-.usual-Hto compare.persopal .errors,.and-thatin,the, absenceJ thereof-he considered the; observations- , very.iucomplete, i;.;;;,,. - H.-f ! ;Dr. Heptoh,,took,the opportunity:ofibearing; ! testimony of theiYen.ArcEaeacoh' t ! »seryicesiftithis matter. self responsible, as the, official head of the Ob- ; Seiyatory,!.the practical work had .always; Been ! dope by,the-., 'Archdeacon. He further, Etated-’ f his agreement with the ArohdeaOoh’s -conolu-' siop that.tfaft-longitude of thorchprts'shbuld ibe' ; tipie. s 1 /The result e&the ! cable signal was to- show it to be - slightlydnerrbr—ohTy M hikonds/' Still,'wlth teferlnce to !; ’ Jlr, Thomson’s doubt of the’ results•account*’ if the peraonal ieiwor 'nPt thaTdngj beey ascer- : tained, the 'difference-tvas’ mpte - thaa^-'cohid be. Attributed to such ii'biusei But the -’questibh 1 wPs the practical one of 'giving pain, hnd- that scarcely’ reqriifed' such’refine'-'■ , mbnts! i .It ,ii >buoJ t o.i | Mri l Thomson said he admitted' that for all .piftctfc&lipurposis' the observations .mlgtit.be,; , sufficient,'-‘but that in’ such’fmatfersj'tib'fofaked fot* the strictest scientifica'cefifafiyP'Fdrpui'^iy, ,Scientific< ; purpose&l •the , ' : asPettainmeht“pf , per-‘ - sonal error warfuhfdcubtedly necessary. He des- ' bribed somewhat fully what- had been dbhe Iby,. himself and .Mri , iHent7 i Mibkibn, i 'atfd!Btatbd' -that Major Palmer had remarked that'. lunar correct!oils, ; were' - hpplied; J thhir ]bb'3ervMk 1 tions caffiifaS'heAt’ab’possible tp'his/bwn.-f He bondbmflpd 'the siteiselibted^by.MAjpr‘Palinbr itt Otago for observing the tranSit'-'bf Yenus,-' in ''direct‘‘oppositsoni'to : the 1 advice ‘giyefl by himself as President Pf-’-tho -Otago 'Tnafituto. - Had his roopmmendations.beeh followed’in'tEis', . respect; he. yontiired to.' .s'dy, a cfepT; slby! would have been 'obtained, and the.observatipna wbulii have beetiff cbm'ple to' auocoab. 1 cMded;by,expressing a re-grit‘,that.!Sir George Alrey, ;ihe 1 '.Boyal,; had" shown' no disporitloh toVaVail Eiihself’bf'lhe- services of . looalobservers.' J Hi thought it was' a pity, that', the leaders of., soientifioy thought , iif Home should look dOwh' ,ab,. jt were ‘ on! .'tbe humble tiut'oaniest^^'efforts.of'.those.wtioi'were at. work ; .put-hejp! .-'f-'Ki-.1/.V' '%

Dr. Bdller said he could not allow, sucha. ■atatement'Ss tlie last-to gounchallenged; For t his own part,. he ,felt;himselfi/uhder a heavy; -debtfof- gratitude to our; - soientific;:fripnda "at | ;Home,‘iwho, ao far ashis experien’oe 'Went, weye | alwaya'.ready’to lend 'a' helpingJhatid^to,-re-j ‘mdte workers bn ■ this ' wde /of '‘tlje';glqbfe,_and! never’ failed'to- accord ■thein' , i cognition. . . Vp' 1 ' j ■-"’'THC Hon;' Mr. Manteix’ wasunablo l iq agree ii ’altogether with the in’’this’matter. i] He“had found .that;scientific' men’at HpibC, I while 'very c willing 1 ttf’'relieve 'the' ‘ colonial gatherers pf their .treasures, were 'very "a|it , 'fb|! appropriate dh’eir'labors in’thamost unblushing |j manner and without any recognition. < Dr. BhEbBE skid - that there had--ho doubt ‘ been •fiagraht 'instances; of; -the i -kind indicated 1 by;his;hpnpr»blp'frigiid.~But,-in summer;” and it’would- be ‘ obviously unfair’to make,scientific uyen.as.iv.olass,. yesponsibje for | the mean acts of a-few.”' He r Wd’ himself suffered, and so had others present,, from.such occasional treatment: - •; 'But/from such, risen as "Dr.’ Hooker/Dr. 1 Gtipther; ';Miv • Daryrin, J?rpfessor Kolleston/ ProfessowNewton', and many others might narpe, always count k on sjunpathy; 1 ' aid; *aha Support. ludeed,;!‘durihg his, visit r (;o England he had been much’strhok \vitli the strong personal interest takerfby such.men,as those he had mentioned in at the ahfipMes.. He might add that the annual volume of “Transactions” was .always referred, to by, themjinseyms of unqualified praise, Vas evidencing much scientific activity., and profieiqncjl of attainments in the colony. .He felt sure that, ao far as Dr. Hooker .was concerned, he might appeal to Mr. Kirk, who waa.presehtj/and, "vylio could speak froro personal experience. >Mi\ Kirk, said it. was hardly necessary: to state' that, he entirely coincided-with the Prer sidept.,- Proin . the • eminent.; . botanist, , Dr. Hooker, in .particular,Jjie,had. always received every possiblp.poixa.ideratioii.,.; ~. ; ;......... t i • The next paper was ,“,On the Cetaceans of ‘New Zealand,” by 'Dr,.Hector., ;>< ,‘ c l!he -author read only .portions of the paper,, indicating-the Chief points. of inteiast, and drawing,'attentiqi|i to,some, excellent diagramsof dplphins’nskuUs, prepared by Mr. Buchanan. He dwelt,pfptty fully on some inaccuracies ip .Captain Hutton’s article on , Turdo metis, /in last, year’sc-yplnrae of “ Transactions,” .and,, declared. tb:it,appapatently misled by a merely superficial examir nation, r Captain button ,had ponfoundpd/the characters .of two very idistipct genera, Fursfa mi Clynieh{a.\ r/. /; ;n : i-iD! .. k . s .. . Archdeacon. Stock, - who -had always before considered- the, sperm, whale 1 peculiar;to ithe Southern; Seas, •actually-saw.!»ne-('spouting..ih the Bay.of-Biscay. jW tie '-■> h»t>'

Mr. Travers referred to an interesting fact mentioned.by thO'authdr aS to'certain cetaceans traversing the ocean from north tp,south across the tropics. ’ He'had himself, - someyears' ago,' met withßanks' IB New Zealand; this form beiiig inet with also in English'waters,’in India, and in, Africa.' • Dr. Newman said he, could not agree with Dr. Hector, about the-whales , coming so far south, fori he did 'hot believe, that arctic sperms could possibly • live •’in such V“Sea of fire” as the torrid zone. : . . iDrir BotLEßTsaid' discjiisipn hfought to his recollection a thebry’propounded by Dr. Gunther, r at one,of-.the meetings of the Zoological Society,' regarding ‘ the distribution of certain pelagic species, to the effeofethatthey performed their migrations from one ; part, of the globe to another, by ‘diving to such depths in the ocean as would give a temperature suited to'theirnature.. . J .; i > : ' Dr. HECTOR'said he (juite believed, that this, was the true solution of the matter! ~-of. the fact that the species mentioned were, identically ■ I-the same on.both: sides, - of,’the equator (there I- could be.no doubt whatever. i ; ; 'Mr; Travers was of the same opinion! ' Dr. Hector 'read, also' the title of a paper j by. himself .“On New Zealand Icthyology,”. ! and .briefly indicated; its , purport, calling atitention at the same time to stuffed specimens on the table, ■ , - j ,Dr. Bdller read adengthypaper by Mr,H.! i O.Bield, of Wanganui,.., giving,,ani Explorations made by Mr, Hodge and' himself amongst some ancient’Maori caches discovered in that district, and supposed to, be 400, years old. ,

Mr. Crawford remarked that, the,. :paper was not only well written, hut well reasoned ; out, although in reapectto. the petrified wood ihaving been brought .from Australia,! he difffered from the author,: there being, plenty of-it : all over this-island. —He., took-exception - also •to ‘.Mr.' Field’s .introduction of [Volcanic- agencj| ’•as- a .factor in,the. phenomena.'described by. ihimpthemearest centre of volcanic aotidnr being Ruapehu, fully seventy miles off. - i (,Dr.‘ ,Hector said :he had (listened > to!the ipaper with interest, but would: like..the -author, 'tojgive further (details ;for.example, as to'the sizeflof the;, stonest forming,.the i remarkable jcircles described by. him. .• • '■ 1 ' . ;Mr. W.- E. Ej.BßQWNreada, Valuable paper on “ Drainage.”!,jiA/yery practical discussion followed, in which.-the-; following'-gentlemen took .part:—Colonel Reekie,‘ Dr.-- Newman; 'and Messrs..; Thomson, /.O.; lO’NeilljTravers,' Campbell, Crawford, and' J. ‘•HrAWallacetj 'after’> which Mr.. Drown': briefly'.replied,) and iquoted from- official reports .in support of his views.- -_, •- - j J,/ On' the motion of Dr. HKCTofij- other 'papers on the -list;- being' twelve’-in number)' were ** taken 1 as read, nf in order .that the print-, ing might’be proceeded with; ( : - l ( ‘ '■ 1 "Dr. -Bdllek' announced that-' , at'-'the ;next meeting he would -read a paper 1 “ On.the introduction of x the ; - polecat-ferret into ’ ’.New Zealand.”' 'f ; ,J ,V" iJ \/ '" ;n , i The next meeting- of -'the.'sooiety will'take place,in January,'and will" be the last of the; Season; ■' 'i