PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXVI, Issue 72, 29 March 1892, Page 2

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the above Sooiety was hold in tho Museum laet evening, Mr A. S. Atkinson oooupying the chair. There was a fair attendance of members and their friends The Hon, Seorotary read the report for tho past ysar, whioh showed tho work dono to bo fairly satisfactory. The Hon, Treasurer's report showed a small oredtt balance, but it also showed that it took noarly half the subeoriptions of the meuibors for tho upkeep of the Museum. Tho Hon. Curator in his report called attention to the coui'tesy and attention ac oordod to all visitors by the Librarian, Miss Olark. Mr Worley, Curator of tho Sohool of Mines gavo a report showing that great progress had been made and that everything was being conducted in a satisfactory manner. Hearty votosof thanks were passed to the several officers. I Mr Worley was duly elected a member of the Sooiety, Tho election of officers for tbe ensuing yoar then fcook place, as follows :— President, tho Right Rev. fche Bishop of Nelson, Viae Presidents, Mr A. S. Atkinson anl Dr Boor ; Hon. Saorejary, Mr Sidney Black : Hon. Treasurer, Dr Hudson 5 Hon, Curator of Museum, Mr It. I, Kingsley 5 Hon. Curator of Sohool of Mines, Mr Worley ; Council, Messrs Holloway, Kingsley and Worley, Drs Maokia andOressey. The Bishop of Nelson took the 'chair on oleotion, and in a brief and in-* teresting address expressed the pleasure he felt to receive this mark of honour, whioh ho also regarded as a result of the esteem felt for their late President, Bishop Sufcer. He hoped to be able to fill tha posi- j

i ... 111 ii in 1 hi in tion In the interest of the Sooiety and to the satisfaction of all. The Hon Curator then gave an account of a, most interesting presentation made by Mr T. Skilton of Anakaka. Ifc is an anoient Maori wooden bowl, described by the donor as a blood bowl, and waa dug np by him at Purawhakau, The Curator then read several short but valuable papers. The first, gave a description of a " hybrid duck " shot by Mr Harvey in Happy Valley, and also of a akin of the I rare bird Apteryx Haasfcii from Westland, i both specimens presented by Mr Kings- | ley to the So iety. Tho second paper dealt I with a remarkable variation in the fern Lomaria Lanceolafca, oolleoted by him cv Little Ben, Wairoa Gorge. Tho third dea I oribed a number of valuable Maori imple- ; menfcs found by the author at Takaka, whioh ; were exhibited at the meeting. The desorip. tion of their discovery shows the writer to be endowed with remarkable sagacity as a collector. Several neat sketohes of the subjects of tha papers and a series of the most rare ferns, artistically mounted, were exhibited and universally admired. The writer, at the conclusion of his paper, on ferns called attention to the wilful destruction of bush and valuable botanioal speoimens by the fire-loving vandals of Nehon, and stated that some extreme measures should be taken to prevent tho same. A hearty vote of thanka was given to the reader of the papers, who has always taken a successful and euergefcio interest iv the work of the sooiety. The following resolution was passed:— I' That this Sooiety desires to express again its deep regret fchafc the serious illness or its late President, Bishop Sufcor, has prevented ' him from continuing the many services he has rendered to the Sooiety from its foundation, and, in reoording its hearty thanks to him for those services, desires to repeat the strong hope ifc has before expressed that he may be again restored to health and extended ueefullness."