ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10105, 2 August 1893, Page 3

ANGLO-COLONIAL NOTES.

[FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.] London, June 9. PROFESSOR ULRICH. Professor Ulrich, of Dunedin, is still “hung” as a candidate in the great ball of the Royal Society. He has been up several years, and considering the amount of useful scientific work be has done, he ought to be safe tor election sooner or later. His certificate of recommendation is largely signed, among the names being Sir J. Hector, Sir G. Yerdon, Sir W. Duller, Sir F. M’Coy, Baron von Mueller and the late Sir Julius von Haast. But the Royal Society is a very exclusive one, tbe Charter permitting of only fifteen additional fellows every year out of an average of 175 candidates. Last year the names of half a. dozen prominent scientists were taken down after hanging about five years. The late Frank Buckland was up twelve yeare, and then not elected. The curious part of it is that, as most of those who can write F.R.S. after their names are a long time past middle age, the number of deaths every year outnumber the elections, and as vacancies are not filled, this important body is a. gradually diminishing one. Among the fifteen new Fellows elected at the last meeting of the Council was Professor Alfred Russell ■Wallace, the well-known evolutionist, NEW ZEALAND AT THE FORESTRIES. Sir Wfiiter Buller completed, on Friday last, his New Zealand timber trophy at the Forestries Exhibition at Earl's Court, by adding eome beautifully polished slabs of kauri, pariri, lofara, mated and other woods. It is quite one of the features of the show, and so admirably placed that visitors cannot help noticing and talking about it. Coupled with the splendid exhibit of the same kind at the Imperial Institute, it affords tangible evidence of New Zealand’s wealth in this respect. The Colony, by the way, has to thank the Hon R. J. Seddon and the Railway Commissioners for making arrangements by which the double exhibition of New Zealand timbers was rendered possible. A PRETTY SIGHT. Tne trooping of the colours on the Queen’s Birthday is, perhaps, the prettiest sight of the London season, but one that only a select few are permitted to comfortably enjoy. The colonists favoured with tickets for the Commander-iu-Chiei’s stand last Saturday were the AgentaGeneral and their wives, and some dozen leading lights of the Institute, such as Sir B. T. and Lady Smith, Sir W, and Mies Bailer, and Sir F. and Miss Abel. A good many antipodaana, however, mingled with the heaving crowd on the fringe of the Horse Guards’ parade, and in return for a good crushing got an occasional glimpse of a' red coat. IMPERIAL FEDERATION. The Agent-General's paper on Imperial Federation, which he read before tbe Society of Arts, baa been very favourably reviewed and criticised by the provincial Press, though in the stress of Home Rule the metropolitan papers have passed it over in comparative silence. The Westminster Gazette, however, has a brief paragraph thereon, and seems to agree with Mr Perceval in most of his points. There is one matter on which the Westminster differs from the Agent-General, and that is the representation of New Zealand and the other color,iea in the Imperial Parliament. “ How many men,” asks the critic " are there in his Colony rich enough, like himself, to afford residence in England, and, like himself, of recognised political ability ? Would New Zealand have spared Mr Ballance, Sir Harry Atkinson, Sir George Gray, and Sir Robert Stout to the Imperial Parliament, if these gentlemen would have consented to go? Last of all, if half a dozen gentlemen as able as those we have mentioned agreed to tax New Zealand, or pledged it in war in Europe, would the Colony endorse their action ? The difficulty in these matters is shown by the fact that New Zealand, as Mr Perceval admits, has stood aloof from Australian federation. She was influenced by two feelings—-that her representatives might be outvoted on matters affecting important interests, and that she could get all she wanted without federation. Australia, for instance, would be bound for its ,own sake to help iu defending New Zealand against a foreign attack.” MAINLY ORNITHOLOGICAL. Dr Bowdler Sharpe, one of the leading lights of the Britieh Museum, is giving a seiVM of lectures before the Royal Institution of Great Britain. The second of the aeries, delivered on Thursday last, had reference to the distribution of land and sea in mezozoic and tertiary periods and the division of the world into zoogeographical regions. He had much to say concernf.Vg the discovery by Mr H. 0. Forbes o€ aphanapteryx at the Chatham Islands, ivnd about the struthious birds (the moa i.md its allies) in New Zealand. Ha dissented sharply from Professor Hutton’s conclusions, given in a recent paper, on the reehv. sificatioa of the moae, and paid a high tribute to the author of ’’The Birds of Nev Zealand ” for his researches into ornithogiwphy. Sir Walter, by the way, has just received the thanks of Cambridge University for his "numerous and valuable s’ifts to tbe Museum of Zoology during the past twenty years.” I believe that these " thanks ” include being prayed for t\t Commemoration. At a meeting of the British Ornithological Club held hvst December, Mr H. O. Forbes stated that he had recently received from the Chatham Islands a specimen of tho flightless rail, Cahalus modestus, of Hutton’a, and that he had no hesitation in declaring it to be tho young of Cahalus Dieffenhachi #. Mr Forbes should have been more cautioms. Further specimens received in this country have established beyond all doubt the validity of Professor Hutton’s species, and Mr Forbes has had to “ ch\mb down.” He would have saved himself this unpleasant feat if he had studied the recent papers on the subject in tho " Tiraueactiona of the New Zealand Institute.” LADY GEOGRAPHERS. Mr Henry 0. Forbes, the into Curator of the Canterbury Museum, hav not had long to wait for recognition of hjr services to science. At the annual general meeting 61 the Royal Geographical Society last week he was the proud recipient of the Gill Memorial Medal of the Society. At the same meeting, by the way, the question of continuing to admit lady Fellows again came to the (roati The miile creatures of the learned body have been at sixes and sevens for some time over this question, and at tbe last meeting a motion iu favour of closing the door to lady geographers was carried by a considerable majority. This resolution the Council placed on record, and chose to consider, the election of lady fellows, a thing of the past. Lord Mayo, Sir Frederick Young, And other prominent members of the Society, however, are strongly iu favour of admitting the gentler geographers, and at the anniversary meeting motioned to reocinvd the resolution debarring ladies. After ft heated discussion the motion was withdrawn, but it will be considered by a. special general meeting to be convened with all speed. At present only twentytwo women claim to put P.E.Q.S. after their names, and all these were elected last year. In tbe same period one hundred and forty-four male members were added to the foil. PERSONAL AND GENERAL. Miss Hate Maraden is amongst the twenty-two ladies whom the Council of the Geographical Society recently made Fellows of tbe Royal Geographical Society, and whose election a number of ungallant masculine Fellows are endeavouring to annul. Mias Maredeu has also been to the fore this last week in Truth, the editor of Which expresses the same curiosity with regard to the expenditure of the funds collected for "my lepcre,” which I have so often given voice to. "Labby’ is apt to be pertinacious when his suspicione are aroused anent the genuine character of a philanthropic enterprise. Wa may, consequently, expect to hear more from him .concerning the papers’ friend* H®

of her, I notice, as "aNew Zealand lady.” A fair sprinkling of Australians and New Zealanders were, as usual, amongst the guests of the Royal Society on the occasion of its second annual soirde at Burlington House, last Wednesday evening. Generally, too, there are some special Colonial exhibits amongst the scientific toys end curios spread about for the visitors delectation, bat I noticed none this time. The Agents-Generals and their ladies were all invited, but I only saw Sir Saul and Lady Samuel. Sir W. F. D. Jervois, however, was there, and so were Sir Julius and Lady Vogel, Dr Stirling, Mr and Mrs Garrett-Anderson, Sir W. and Miss Buller, Sir Henry and Lady Barkly, &0., &o. Lord and Lady Kelvin received the company. Amongst the severest sufferers by tbe recent Bank failures is Sir George Bowen, whose confidence in the stability of financial institutions iu Victoria has received a rude shook. The blow comes specially hard on the ex-Viceroy, as he was also severely hit by the depreciation in Bank of New Zealand shares a few years back. The well-known tap of exuberant enthusiasm which Sir George was wont erstwhile to turn on at the mere mention of the Australia® is now off—very much off,” as Arthur Roberts would say.

Mr E. Wake Cook, who spent some time painting in New Zealand, is exhibiting some pictures of the hot and middle island lakes at the Vokins’ galleries in Great Portland street

The Times contains a capital notice of "The Early History of New Zealand,” published by Mr Brett, of Auckland. It describes the volume as " imposing, copiously illustrated and edifying.” The reviewer could wish that the historians " had not incorporated narratives and documents quite so freely,” but agrees with them the time for a critical history of the Colony bag not come yet. The new 7000-ton P. and 0. liner for tho Australian service, which is to lick creation in the matter of speed, will be called the Caledonia, and be ready for delivery next year.

It is pretty openly stated that the exPermanent Under-Secretary of the Colonial Office, Sir Robert Herbert, has joined the Council of the Colonial Institute with no other object than to promote, by hia influence, an amalgamation with the Imperial Institute. On dii the Prince of Wales begged him to bring about this. The split at the Tabernacle is not now so much between the followers of the Rev Thomas Spurgeon and those of Dr Pierson as between old Dr Spurgeon’s clique and his nephew’s following. The retiring pastor’s friends ate very bitter against Mr Tom’s supporters, and have made it impossible for the latter to join in the testimonials to Dr Spurgeon and Dr Pierson, to be presented to them on their retirement shortly.

At the annual meeting of the Federated Institute of Engineers held on Friday last, tbe Secretary announced that the President’s prize had been awarded to Mr Q. Binns for his paper on “Goldmining in Hew Zealand.” Amongst the paper* discussed by members during the subsequent proceedings was a very exhaustive essay on coal and kauri gum mining in the Colony by Mr Binns, who by the way, is now giving a series of lectures on all branches of mining in New Zealand before the Association of Engineers at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Mr Benjamin Wayte, of the Cloma Bridge Factory, who arrived in England about a year ago, is now completing his course of theoretical and practical studies in farming and dairying under Mr F. J. Lloyd, F.C.8., erstwhile of the Royal Agricultural Society. That Mr Wayte has studied to some purpose is proved by the fact that in May last he obtained the diploma and silver medal of the British Dairy Farmers’ Association. To complete his education, he is wisely enquiring into tbe methods of treating produce in transit, and though the time remaining at his disposal is short, he hopes to be able to glean some valuable information. To this end he is taking frequent trips to the docks, the only place where really practical knowledge can be picked up. Though the attendance at the levle on May 29 was unusually,large,'very few Colonists were presented.; Sir W. Duller was there, and on the following day lunched with his Highness the Maharajah of Bhavnagar, who is living in princely style at 46, Prince’s Gate, which has been specially fitted up for his occupation. This Indian prince came over to be present at the opening of the Imperial Institute, and has shown a practical interest therein by presenting gifts amounting to J 8350.000. He proceeds shortly to Paris, but returns in time for the Royal wedding.