Philosophical Society.

Evening Post, Volume XXIX, Issue 37, 14 February 1885, Page 2

Philosophical Society.

The annual meeting of tho Philosophical Sooioty was held at tho Colonial Musoum last evening, Dr. Bailor, President, occupying the chair. There was a small attondanco of mombers. The President announced the election of Mr. H. Cook and Mr. H. Tregear (Now Plymouth) as members of the society. The annual report and balance-shoot were submitted by Mr. R. B. Gore, Hon. Secretary. The former showed that eight general meetings of tho sooioty had beon held during tho year. The number of members hod increased dnring the past twelve months, and a greater interest had been displayed in the operations of the society. Fourteen members had been elected during tho year, and there were now 261 on tho roll. The report ooncludcd by stating that Mr. W. M. Maskell had succeeded in forming a microscopic section of tho society. The balance-sheet showed that there is now in hand a sum of .£lO5 0a Bd. The report and balance-sheet were adopted, and a vote of thanks was passed to Mr. Frederick Bull for having audited tho accounts. The office-bearers nominated by the connoil were elected as follows :— President, Dr. Newman ; Vice-Presidents, Mr. Govett and Dr. Grabham : Counoil : Drs. Hutchinson and Buller, Hon. G. R. Johnson, and Messrs. King, Travers, and Chapman ; Secretary and Treasurer, Mr. R. B. Gore; Auditor, Mr. H. F. Logan. Dr. Buller then vaoated tho chair in favour of Dr. Newman, the newly-eleoted President, who said he should like to see the meetings of the sooiety mado a little more lively than they had been for some time past. Everything depended on an active committee, and he trusted that the new counoil would try and do thoir best to render the gatherings during the year as attractive as possible. He thought that it would be well to try and induce eomo gentlomen to deliver a series ef popular leoturca on scientific subjects during the year. Dr. Buller announced that he would deliver the retiring President's address in June. Sevoral papers were then submitted by members. Mr. W. M. Maskell sent in papers entitled " Fnrthor Notes on Coocid.-e in Noif Zealand," and "Parasites of the Penguin." With referenoe to tho former, Dr. Hector thanked Mr. Maskell for a collection of the cocoidse family whioh he had deposited in the Museum, and which would bo found vory useful in identifying the various speoies of blight insects. A papor whioh caused some discussion waa one by Dr. Curio, of Wanganni, entitled " Australian Cave Paintingß," the object of the writer boi_n(r to prove that the discovery of a painting of a human figure covered with cabalistic signs in a cave in the interior of Australia showed that tho Syrians or Philistines had visited that continent. The disousßion which followed the reading of the paper was taken part in by Drs. Buller and Hector, and Messrs. Maskell & Chapman, none of whom appeared to agree with Dr. Curie's theory. Tho titles of the remaining papers* were as follow ;— "Newly Discovered and Rare Indigenous Plants," by Mr. Coknao ; " New Tertiary Shells," by_ Captain Huttou ; " Seneco Kaikourensis," and "Erigeron Novas Zealandiaa," by Mr. J. Buchanan ; " Discoveries in Cat's Eye Bay, Milford Sound," by Mr. D. Sutherland; "On some additions to the Avifauna of New Zealand," and '* General Notes on New Zealand Ornithology," by Dr. Buller; and "Notes on the Structure of tho Mountain Ranges of Canterbury," by Dr. Hector. The meeting terminated shortly before 10 o'clock.