WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5473, 11 October 1878, Page 3

WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

A meeting of the above society was held ou Saturday evening. As the president (Mr. Kirk) had several papers to read, the chair was occupied by Dr. Newman, vice-president. The miuutes having been confirmed, the Secretary announced the election of Mr. Dominick Browne and the Rev. Mr, Walsh as members.

The first paper was on the “Kea of New Zealand,” by the Hon. Dr. Menzies, M.L.C., describing the manner in whicli this parrot attacked sheep, tearing out the flesh, and often killing them. Mr. Travers said that the first report of this proclivity in the kea was from the head of Lake Wakatipu, but it was discredited. He had been aware of the fact himself, and it was now beyond a doubt. The kaka also fed on flesh, but never attacked the living animal. Dr. Newman remarked’ that it was strange that these birds should prey upon such large animals, when it was considered that before the introduction of sheep they had not probably seen anything larger than a rat. Mr. Kirk read a paper by Dr. Curl on “Pituri,” a new vegetable product that deserves further attention. The paper gave an account of the use of this plant by the natives of Australia, and its power of producing increased muscular vigor, greater endurance and power of exertion without much fatigue and little food. The result of experiments by himself and others were given. Dr. Newman said that very little was known as to the real merit of this plant. It was no doubt to a certain extent a stimulant, but he thought a great deal was due to imagination. He could not agree with many of the author’s statements as to the power of this product, especially in critical cases of disease. Mr. Kirk explained that Dr. Curl only suggested that the plant might prove useful in . critical cases—-not that it had done so. If what the author said was correct, it would be a most valuable drug to travellers aud explorers in Now Zealand. Mr, Field would like to have the chairman s opinion as to whether the experiments ou animals referred to could be attributed to imagination, aud Dr, Newman said that no doubt the plant had an effect on animals, as it was an unusual food for them. It was only iu tho case of experiments on human beings that at all reliable results had been obtained, aud those latter were to him unsatisfactory. Mr. H. Blundell then read his remarks on Dr. Carl’s notes on grasses aud fodder plants, in the course of which he pointed out the value of Dr. Curl's contributions to the society generally, aud particularly as regards the grasses and fodder plants, and suggested the advisability of publishing all reliable information on this subject for general information. Mr. Travers remarked that Mr. Blundell could get a great deal.of the information he mentioned as to grasses, &c., from tho catalogues published in England. What we wanted here was tho feeding value of grasses and character of soil. As to the disappearance of flax, ho considered that the opening up of the swamps where it grows, by cattle, and the introduction of other plants, did more to make it disappear than merely the cattle eating it. It was no doubt eaten for the pleasant bitter it contained. ■ Mr. Kirk remarked that some contusion existed with regard to the buruet; there are two plants well known to agriculturists under the names of the greater and the lessor buruet respectively. ; The former flourishes best in cool and rather moist soils, the latter in those of a dry character ; and ho had observed the

latter in a naturalised condition near Castlerock and in other parts of the colony. Both plants are of great value. He considered tho consolidation of the surface of swampy ground by cattle, and the consequent establishment of exotic roads to be more destructive tophormimn and other swamp plants than the direct injury caused by cattle in feeding, &c.v He regretted that he could not agree with the author Ja his estimate of the value of Dr. Curl’s writings. His statements were for the most part wautiug in the necessary data for testing their value. He trusted Dr. Curl would furnish the results of the analysis to which he referred, with particulars as to the nature of soil in which the grasses were growing, course of culture, and quantity of food furnished kj ?*ch.Jii precis© terms,- at some future opportunity, ■ " ~ Dr. Newman agreed with Mr. Kirk that the information contained in Dr. Carl’s papers on these subjects was scarcely full or complete enough to be of much practical value, A paper was then read ou the “ Botany of the Waiheke, Rangitoto, and other Islands in tho Hauraki Gulf,” by'T. Kirk, F.L.S. The object of the paper was to describe the chief physical features which had affected the development of vegetable life as it now exists on the islands in the Hauraki Gulf, It described tho vegetation of Waiheke Island as moderately copious, although even the more robust species rarely attained extreme dimensions. The vegetation of Motutapu, Motuihi, and other small islands, was briefly noticed, and that of Rangitoto, at some length. Rangitoto is a volcanic island, nearly four miles in diameter, destitute of water and of-surface soil; amass of blocks of lava, with a scoria cone 930 ft. high in the centre, but at certain seasons exhibiting an amount of floral splendour not to be found in the southern part of the colony. He attributed this luxuriance of growth/ combined with diminutive stature, chiefly to the great amouut of atmospheric moisture and the pulverised condition of the small amount of soil from which tho plants extracted their nourishment. Mr. Travers said that it would be impossible not to remark the peculiar vegetation of Rangitoto as described by Mr, Kirk. The Cause of the luxuriance of growth is no doubt due to the moisture of the climate.

Mr. Travers drew attention to a paper, by Professor Houghton, of Dublin, on “ Physical Geology,” lately published in Nature , which bore out certain remarks mads in a paper ou the same subject written by him (Mr. Travers) last year, and published in vol. X, “of i% Transactions.”

This terminated the meeting.