AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5498, 1 July 1879, Page 5

AUCKLAND INSTITUTE.

The second annual meeting of members was held yesterday evening in the Museum and Institute Building, Princes-street, — the President of the institute (Dr. Purchas) in the chair. The weather was extremely inclement, and the meeting was on that account rather less numerously-attended than usual. NEW MEMJBERS AND DONATIONS. The Secretary (Mr. Cheeseman) read the list of new members elected and donations receivod since last meeting. New Members.—T. W. Gudgeon, Dr. Haines, C. T. Hetley, J. McElwaine, J. Reid, J. H. Upton, E. S. Wilcocks. Donations to the Library and My. seum.—Paper on the Temples of Kashmir, with drawings, the Bishop of Auckland; 19 species of N. American fish, 4 mollusks, Captain Wilson (whaling vessel James Arnold), per Mr. Justice Gillies ; large cuttlefish (octopus ap.), Captain Hugh Ferguson ; email turtle from Long Island, New Guinea, W. J. Hurst j tail of wild boar, J. MoElwaine; landshelle (Bulimus bovimis), Maori stone adzes, G. M. Mitford; lamps of silica from the interior of a burnt straw stack, T. Crook ; rewarewa knot, E. McLennan ; lead pipe from p.s. Takapuna eaten, by rats, J. Hay; 4 silver coins, — Solomon. NEW DISEASE IN SHEBPv The President (inviting discussion upon the papers read at the last meeting of the Institute), said with reference to that read by Major Mair, that a pamphlet had been received from Mr. .Mansel, which appeared to be an appendix to papers read before the New Zealand Institute, in which an account was given of the particular fly from which the maggots found in the brains of sheep proceeded. It was a species of the " bott fly." Major Mair appeared to think that this disease was observed lately in the Waikato only. It appeared to have been observed in the districts north of Auckland, although he had no definite information on the subject, GROWTH OF TRERS ON SCORIA LAND. Mr. Justice Gillies read an important paper on the "Growth of Certain Trees in Scoria Land at Mount Eden." He desired, before entering upon the. subject, to state the object he had in view in preparing the paper. It was highly desirable that observations should be made of the influence o£ the character of soil and climate upon the growth of certain trees. In the greater part of the North Island of New Zealand, the climate might be regarded as varying but little. But the varieties of the soil were very Bumercras. The paper purported to be simply a record of facts observed by himself. The trees were all planted by his own hand, and he bad watched their growth and development very carefully. If those having experience of clay and other soils wonld do the eame, there would be a valuable contribution made to the general knowledge on this subject. The paper made no other pretensions to acceptance than that facts were carefully observed, and recorded at the time they were noted. Many people took no note of these matters, and the consequence was a great deal of valuable knowledge was lost. BOTANY OF MOUNT ETRONGIA.

Mr. Cheeseman read a very valuable paper upon this subject, but it is too technical to be pnblished at length.—Mr. J. B. Rnssell enggested that an appendix might be prepared with the eqivalent Maori or common English names. —Mr. Cheeseman said a vast number of these plants had no Maori names or common English names. There was no means of distinguishing them except by the use of the scientic terminology. MOUND-BUILDERS OF NORTH AMERICA. Mr. J. Adams read an interesting paper OB this subject. The object, he *aid, was to illustrate one of the cases of nnquitiea which had been presented to the museum. The lecturer referredjfco Bancroft's "Native Antiqnities of the Eaoific,".t* '!. The Transaction of the North American Association for the Promotion of and to the " Smitheoni&n as his authorities. There was no discusnpn of the other papers read at the previous meeting. This concluded the business of the meeting