WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

Patea Mail, 22 February 1881, Page 4

WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

At the annual meeting ot the Wellington Philosophical Society, held February 12th, Dr Hector was elected president. The papers read during the year were : 7 on geology, 7 on zoology, 8 on botany, 3 on chemistry, and 5 miscellaneous, a total of 30, which had all been sent for publication in the next volume of Transactions. Dr Hector said Mr Buchanan had brought from the Otago Ranges an enormous collection of 25,000 plants, many of which were wholly new, and about others very little was known. Among others there were some beautiful specimens of alpine plants, which were brought alive, and were then on view. Dr Hector explained these in a most interesting manner, they being a number of specimens of plants not higher than moss, but really miniature shrubs. Seen under the lens, they were remarkably beautiful, being covered with flowers. Dr Hector said prior to this not six people had seen these plants alive, as they were only to be found in the Southern Alps, and were under the snow nine months a year. Dr Hector also explained several new additions to the museum, which were on view among other rich specimens from Te Aroha, coal found at Eketalmna (which he stated to be of good quality, and extended through a large part of the Wairarapa District), galena and zinc blende found at Masterton, and new rich specimens from Terawhiti. With reference to the latter, Dr Hector said a new reef had been found in a fresh locality. It had been found by some bush-burners in quite different conditions from the old socalled reefs. The formation was wholly different from that at the old workings, and the new reef was almost at right angles with the old ones. The specimens showed gold freely, and contained about three ounces to the ton in a very finely-divided form. This was a most encouraging circumstance.