NELSON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

Colonist, Volume XXVII, Issue 3880, 29 March 1884, Page 2 (Supplement)

NELSON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

There was a large attendance at the monthly meeting of this Society, yrh'ich Jook| place last evening, and in addition tp; a good muster of members and other visitors, several members of the University Senate, including Dr Hector and Professor Yon Haast were in attendance. After the transaction of formal business Mr W. Wells read an interesting paper on the drift beds of Wakapuaka and the Port Hills, with some remarks, an the Boulder Bank and its formation' The theory set fovth with regard to.the Boulder Bank, was, that it is formed by abrasions from a syenitic bluff at Wakapuaka, ;worn into Iboulders by the action of the tide, and from [specimens of rock from the bluff and of the Iboulders; ;it. was shown that. each were syeuite. *'Some very interesting discussion followed the reading of the paper, and Di Hector made a lengthy speech, in which lie spoke of Nelson as having been the first district in New Zealand to enter into the' study of local geology, and he also referred to the splendid field open to the members of the Philosophical Society. He alluded at some length to the paper read by Mr Wells, and and , gave a deal'; of valuable'information' regarding the geological formation of' the: country adjacent to this city. •; Several questionshaving been asked and> replies given Dr Yon Haast readia' paper concerning discoveries ' made since his arrival in Nelson as to objects dontainedi in:; the Nelson Museum. !, He particularly, alluded to his finding' amongst some: so-called moa bones, bones of a' rgfeat kiwiwhich stood 'about three feet high. He said't'aat: though the previous existence of such a bird with which the moa wai allied, as well as with the emu of Australia,! had been accepted no bones had been found. He spoke of his discovery as having afforded him great satisfaction, and intimated that he had named: the 'jpecies Megalapterix Hectori in compliment to the services of Dr Hector in science. After some interesting discussion, and the examination of specimens produced Dr Siiter,; the President of the Society, expressed the tha»ks of the members to Drs Hector and Yon Haast for their valuable information, and Mr Wells for his interesting paper. It was notified that at the next meeting of the Society the Eev St. Clair Tisdall will read a paper on the history of the English alphabet. ' il'