REVIEW.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 387, 12 July 1879, Page 11

REVIEW.

Transactions of the New Zealand Institute, 1878. In a recent issue of the Australasian there appeared a review of the " Transactions of the Royal Society of Tasmania," in which were discussed the relative merits of the work done* by the learned societies in the Australian colonies. In this review our Transactions were rated far more highly than those of any of the sister colonies. The reviewer states that in originality, in amount of work done, in high scientific worth, and in the extreme excellence of the plates, our Transactions merit great praise. Any of our readers who choose may see, iu the Philosophical Library, copies of the Transactions of the Royal Societies of "Victoria, New South Wale?, Queensland, Tasmania, and South Australia, and a. very short examination will show how well deserved is the praise of the Australasian. This year's volume is scarcely so large as its predecessors, but in worth is up to the general high standard. The newly-elected governors of the institute are Mr. Kirk," Mr. R. Stout, and Dr. Buller, F.R.S. In connection with the name of the last-men-tioned governor, we are sure that all members of the institute will be both glad and proud that one of their number has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. The Auckland Society has 278 ; the Wellington, 222 ; Otago, 224 ; while Nelson only boasts of 50 members. In activity the Wellington society far outstrips all the others, and we trust it will, long hold that position. In the present famine in the money market, and amid the number of almost or quite bankrupt societies, it is pleasing to find that the Wellington Philosophical Society has a credit at its bankers of over £IOO. The first paper is by the late Engineer-in-Chief of the colony, J. Carruthers, M.1.0.E., on "Some of the Terms used in Political Economy"—a very clever abstruse disquisition on words. The scond is by C. W. Purnell—a very feeble paper advocating "Antartic Exploration." Mr. Barstow supplies valuable information on the " Building and Forms of Maori Canoes ;" and Mr. Colenso vehemently contends that the Maoris were wholly ignorant of any missiles in warfare. " In contributions towards a better knowledge of the -Maori race" Mr. Colenso also affords us much material of great interest. These papers should be read by all. Professor Bickerton publishes a wonderful paper on " Partial impact—a possible explanation of the origin of the solar system, comets, and other phenomena of the universe," which we can earnestly recommend as a striking monument of wasted labor and of unproductive thought. In any new edition of Professor A. de Morgan's fascinating work, " A budget of paradoxes," this article should have a prominent place. Messrs. Macklin and Clarke write on two kindred subjects of the greatest practical value in New Zealand, the one on river, the other on beach protection. Paper No. XIV., "On the rock paintings in the Weka Pass," by A. Mackenzie Cameron, fills one with astonishment astonishment that any man could write such nonsense ; greater astonishment that he should have received the patronage of Professor J. Von Haast, F.R.S.; and utter absolute bewilderment at finding that the governors have allowed such a jiaper to be printed. In the whole range of the eleven volumes of these Transactions it stands alone unrivalled, unapproachable. Mr. Thomson, the Surveyor-Gene-ral, in a paper on " Barat or Barata—Fossil Words," still further pursues his researches into the Whence of the Maori. The article shows a vast amount of work, and an equally large amount of learning on a very difficult subject where few have broken ground. Mr. Thomson tries to show that the Maoris originally sprang from Central ludia; this he does by means of a most elaborate search for root or fossil words. Whether right or wrong in the deductions, the paper is and will ever remain most valuable as a storehouse of words. No other paper in the volume shows anything like the amount of hard work This is the last paper in the miscellaneous section which this year both in quantity and quality is far below the average. In the zoological section there are 42 papers treating of almost every living thing. Thus Professor Hutton discourses on the latest thing in slugs ; young Mr. Kirk on the " Caremological Fauna of New Z.-aland." [N.B. —This paper is on crabs.] Dr. Buller, F.R.S., tells us strange things of lizards and of birds, while those who are fond of hard words can regale themselves with the article on an " Isopodous Crustacean," or become happy in reading of the wonderful charms of an " Opisthobranchiate Mollusca."

In the botanical section there are 20 papers, chiefly by Messrs. Kirk, Cheesman, and Curl, which show progress in the extension of our botanical knowledge, but nothing of startling importance. Professor Kirk's botanical address should be read by every one. There are six papers on ' ; Chemistry," all by that really excellent chemist, Mr William Skey. We are very sorry that the limits and the quality of a newspaper review prevent us from doing any justice whatever to the really great merits of every one of these six articles. By all chemists and physicists his jDapers will be held in high honor. Readers of the volume will notice with great regret the absence of papers from Dr. Hector, an absence unhappily caused by his severe illness and tardy recovery. The next volume, however, will contain many papers by him. In connection with the Otago Society, a course of lectures was delivered which proved both useful and instructive, and were well attended. In Canterbury they were unable to procure lecturers. In Wellington during the year there will be half-a-dozen similar lectures if the attendance is sufficient to warrant it. The Colonial Museum has received large and valuable additions during the year.

Captain Hutton this year furnishes a muchneeded catalogue of scientific papers, published in various parts of the world, svhicli have any bearing on New Zealand.

As regards the safety of erecting brick buildings iu this town, vys may mention that

last year no less than ten earthquakes were felt in Wellington. We earnestly recommend the book to our readers. They will find in it much about New Zealand which they cannot find elsewhere. We can vouch for its value, and feel certain that every reader will agree with us.