OTAGO INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2360, 18 May 1899, Page 63

OTAGO INSTITUTE.

The Otago Institute's session for 1899 was upened in the Museum Buildings on Friday by a conversazione, to which members were invited to take their friends. There was a very good attendance, though the rooms were \\M crowded, and a large majority of those present were ladies. As scientific people are nothing if not accurate, it is hardly necessary to mention that what was announced was held, and that for once what is termed a convereazione did not consist of a gathering of people to listen to long addresses, with a very brief interval for conversation and refreshment. Of the officials of the institute there ■were present — The President (Mr F. R. Chapman), the hon. secretary (Mr A. Hamilton), and the following members* of the council : Professor Shand, Dr Benham, Dr Hocken, and Messrs J. S. Tennant, G. M. Thomson, J. O. Smith, and A. Balhgate. As announced, a great many valuable and interesting objects were exhibited, and these afforded much entertainment to members and guests. In the laboratory there was a splendid collection of Maori mats and curios contributed by Mr Hamilton. The specimens collected during the recent deep-sea trawling experiments were shown, and the moa's egg and Notornis, two very valuable museum, specimens occupied a prominent place. The ctone implements from New Zealand and other countries, exhibited by Mr F. R. Chapman, attracted a good deal of attention, and the remarkable similarity between the stone adzes from Italy, New Guinea, and New Zealand, created a good deal of astonishment in the minds of those who thought the greenstone "axe," as it is generally called, peculiar to the Maori race. The collection of old and very valuable books, also shown by the president of the institute, formed an important feature in the exhibits, as may be inferred from the fact that one of the books — a history of the Trojan war — was printed exactly 400 years ago. It is safe to say that as a curiosity this was of much interest, for people rarely see the actual pages and reprints that must have been pondered over in the fifteenth century. In striking contrast to this old Latin work, there was . shown in the same room a copy of an up-to-date illustrated daily newspaper — a London journal printed on paper so common as to hardly bear the ink, but having a really beautiful picture of Westininster Abbey, filling nearly half of one of its broad pages. The scrapboqks containing the comic illustrations of the early part of this century, which were shown by another member, were not without interest, though a day, not an hour or so, would have been needed to enable one to properly see all that was provided. Some of the most valuable of Dr Hocken's collection of steelplate engravings were displayed on the walls of the library. These included portraits of Captain Cook, Sir Joseph Banks (Captain Cook's companion), Sir Piercy Brett (Lord Commissioner of the 'Admiralty in 1780), and after whom Cape Brett and Piercy Rock (Bay of Islands) were named, General George Dean Pitt (commandant of the New Zealand forces in 1847), Captain James King (lieutenant of the Resolution), 3ohn Douglas, Lord Biehop of Salisbury (» friend of Captain Cook's), the Earl of Durham (the first Governor of. the Ne.w Zea-

land Company), and a very fine portrait of Sir George Grey, X.C.8., in 1867.

An exhibition of Rontgen rays was given by Dr Do Lautour in the classroom, and was a most complete success. The apparatus wa3 the most powerful that has been shown here, and the wonders of the X rays were made clear to all present. Dr De Lautour gave a few explanatory remarks, but did not detain the audience at all longer than was necessary and advisable, in the circumstances, and a cordial vote of thanks was accorded him by acclamation, on the motion of the President of the institute, who moved this resolution in about a dozen words. There was also some good vocal and instrumental music, and Miss B. Little contributed a brilliant' pianoforte solo, and the vocal items were capitally rendered by Miss Lilly Shand, Miss Maitland, and Mr Hunter. As usual, light refreshments were provided during the evening, and in all respects the gathering was appropriate and successful.