NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

Otago Daily Times, Issue 4870, 26 September 1877, Page 7

NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB,

\ The annual meeting: of the above Society was held in the University: Building on tbe 21st mstv The President,.Mr A. ''Bathgate;; occupied the'chair.*'. The mhiutes of the Jasfc,meefciug were;read and confirmed.

: The SEcatTAftY,;'read the;,anrinal report and balance-sheet, which, were adopted. -The report is as follows. 2 —.: .-..-. . .-:■; '..-;: .-.'.-.;.'.

• "In laying the report of the doings of the Club for the year 1576-77. bef orelthe members,, the Committee have to report, the continued advance iii numbers, there being now 102 members onyfche books. ■ While thus numerically strong, however, a corresponding increase in the interest taken in the Club's work cannot be reported.,; It is deplored that this should be so, and thafc the members should attend the exc'ur-, sious and meetings so sparsely. | "Notwithstanding this lukewarmness on the part_ of many of the members, the Club is making its way into notice, and paragraphs have appeared in various papers laudatory of the Club and.its objects. A cutting from the Australasian is on the table for the inspectiou of members. : Your Secretary has also had correspondence with some .parties living in other towns in reference to setting, similar Clubs in motion, but no result has yet followed. : ''During the past year several of the most active and persevering of the members have been lost to ihe-Club-by removal and otherwise .';; hut ie is to be hoped their places will be supplied by others as industrious snd enterprising. . ".'"":.;.

"Twelve excursions were made'by the members during the season, all of therii to localities of more or less interest, and where collections of plants could be made with ease and freedom. Some of these excursions were very well attended, while others again were quite the^reverse, without any reason for this being apparent..

i "Four evening meetings were held during the year, all of which were very successful^ though even here the Committee think that the attendance might b<i considerably increased. In connection with this matter a place of. meeting will have to be arranged for, for the coming season. The building in which it has been tha privilege of the Club to meet in the past having changed owners, some arrangement will have to be made for the iudoor meetings. .:' "As usual, copies of the- annual report were circulated to the principal papers in the Colony, and sent to similar societies in the Home country, but this year only one of them (Liver pool)- has sent a copy of their report in exchange.

"As to the monetary affairs of the Club, there is a,- good deal of arrears, and it is hoped that members will see the necessity of clearing them pS, or otherwise the bye law bearing on the matter will be rigorously enforced." A discussion took place on various points dealt with in the report, such as attendance at meetings, an ears of subscriptions, the means of making the Club more popular, and as to the necessity for the Club getting a complete col-: lection of Otago plants in an accessible place for reference and comparison by the members A variety of suggestions were made by those present. • . ~ ,:. .-;■.' :-}-.'■ '. ■" , ■

The following membeis were then nominated and elected for. the. various oflices for the ensuing year i-President, Mr D. Petri? j %«*

tary and Treasurer, Mr Pl Thoiinsoh ; Committee, -Dr Coughtrey, Mr W. Davidson,-Mr - A. Deans, Mr A.- Bathgate, Captain Hutton. Mr A. Moritzon, Mr A. C. Purdie, Mr G. M. Ihomson, Mr Wicks. ; There was no competition for the prizes --' offered by Mr Petrie for the beat collection of specimens belonging to the sub class Corolliflorse, nor for that offered by Dr. Coughtrey for the best collection of objects :of Natural. History. Mr Petrie offers a prize, to be competed for during the current season, for the best collection of plants belonging. to the sub'-cisisses Ihalamifloras and Disciflorts.. Mr A. Bathgate! also offers a prize for;the bosfrcollection^of • • grasses anu Orchids. '..: Co-cpetitors to give - an. aasurancer inV^yritingr that the plantsraab— routed have all been collected by themselvei' dunng,theseason 1877;78. Vilri allcase^tliesuo-lt I cessfui collection,to become the property of ,the^ Club, and so contribute towards the Herbarium ■ Which:is so much wanted. ; Ther: first ■. excursion; of trie' new season was fixed for Saturday, the 6th October — the fixed at the meeting,- -* t Mr -Deans; showed some very 'interestingfossils froia the Oaniaru district — one of them the backbone: of a fish. MrPurdie also exhibited a number of fossils obtained from his property ia the; Owake district. - A very, curions sportof a;pririirc»e;was shown. It was raised from seed seni to the Secretary by Mr Charles Howie, r of the; Largo Field Club. The seed was given tb Messrs Martin aud Son, of Fairfield; who have raised several varieties from it The specimen shown was peculiar in having the calyx developed into leaves, which quite cover the flower.. Mr Purdie also showed-a fossil resembling the Ammonite figured: by. Dc - Hochstetter in Hus book, "Ammonites ;nbva-'L" zeelandious." 3VIr P, Thomson also exhibited*;: collection of ftrris mounted in a handsome^ t album. „ y y ■...,.'. g.... ■■. ,; gg-gg-t-::