PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXXI, Issue 4081, 20 June 1900, Page 2

PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

A meeting of the Wellington Philosophical Society was held at the Colonial Museum last. night, when the newly-elected president, Mr G. V. Hudson, occupied the chair. It was announced that. Professor Easterfield and Mr C. W. \Pethorick haa been elected members of the society.

There Were laid on the v tablo copies of the latest volumes of the proceedings of the New Zealand Institute and the proceedings of the Wellington Philosn. phical Society.; also the new catalogue ormb”Coldiiial 'Museum library. . The President read, an address on entomological field-work, which is dealt with in a separate article. “'TPhomineht "among the 'exhibits were those collected by Mr A. Yuill, taxidermist to the Colonial Museum, during a visit which he recently paid to the islands lying to the south of New Zea. land; -Among these were specimens of 'the great spider crab of the Auckland Islands; a rabbit from the Auckland Islands*, almost as large as a hare, and illustrating the tendency of the' fur to become .wh'te; a three-mouths-ohi albatross- chick, a ball of fluffy down, front Campbell-Island ; a king penguin, a rbykl penguin and a Gentoo penguin, from the Macquarie Islands; :i golden. created 1 Antarctic penguin, - from the .Auckland' Islands; a little blue diving pertgujn ; and -two scrub’paroquets, from the .’Antipodes Islands..... There were also'*a group of paradise ducks (the •painted , duck ‘of Captain Cook), from Milford" Sound; a flightless teal from the Auckland Islands : and a kiwi, presented by Mr George Fisher, M.1T.11. A «pecimeu of the Californian quail and :.phe ;of' tire. Tasmanian quail were also .tabled., toget her wi t h an old Englisn rivtAnpW;’the hush)'rat' of ‘New- Zealand, a silver..cel.,caught in .AVellinglon Harhour'aml presented by Air \V. Hamilton, ami if black swan irom AVair:U!iu;i Bake, presented''by Df )Adamt>. On, the walls word hung, a- collect ion of water colour sketches. of South Island scenery, by MfH.'Ci’..Lloyd: : Tho. wore explained, by Sir .Tarries He’ctof, who mentioned that, the Government, very kindly gave Air Vn iU a/passage; on the Hinemoa.i Although tlio -steamer's movements wore hampered by ;■ other, engagements, Air Yuill had -been, able, .to inake what was on the whole a very valuable and important collection, select ions from which wore beforo' tho societ ythat- evening. Some of the specimens on the table had nothing to do with Mr Yuill’s voyage, but all of’them had been prepared by him, and they were .really.- examples of the most .wonderful and tasteful, taxider-rni.-jils )wqrk which he (Sir, James) had erqi’iaeen.. -In his detailed reference: to thelOxhibitn, Sir-James said that they .-included -a complete sot of all itho known spepies,\pf: penguin, that'.-.had yet been found : in the New Zealand area, which included-the outlying islands.” *