PHILOSOPHICAL BOOIETY.

Colonist, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8366, 30 September 1895, Page 2 (Supplement)

PHILOSOPHICAL BOOIETY.

A meeting of the Philosophical Society was held on Sept. 16, in the Museum. The Bishop of Nelson presided, The bon. Secretary read a reply from the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute relative to a resolution of the sooiety re notes on tbe Maori Polynesian Dictionary. After some discussion tha consideration of the letter was postponed until a future meeting. The hon. Curator (Mr Kingsley) describe the following exhibits : — Botanical. — Speoimens of rare ffros, Hym. Montanum and Lindsaya viridis, and others, collected by himself and Mr Bryant. Zoological. — Fioe specimens of a fish (name unknown) sent by Mr Moffat, of Mot-Jeka A curiouß star fish given by the Curate r. A large fruit bat from Mauritius, and a specimen of a black rat, also by tbe Curator. A specimen of a rare bird, the " Australian Boiler," embalmed by the Curator. Specimens of a scale insect new ti New Zealand collected by Mr Kingsley, and reported to Professor Maskel, viz., Planchonia quereieola. Thiß, Mr Maskel says, prov.d Very injurioua to the oak tress in the Bois de Boulogne, Paris, some sixty years ngo, and he had not heard of its presence in New Zealand before. A fine pieoe of quar 1 2 crystal, from Mr Hodges, of Woodstock, was also on the table. A colleotion of moa bones from tbe Sherry river, for whioh any informa iop regarding their discovery the Curator stated he was indebted to Mr Collins of Tadmor, Mr G. H. Kidson and Mr Phillips, of the Sherry. The thanka of the Society were accorded to those persons presenting the various exhibits, and the hope expressed that others would follow their worthy example by taking interest in tbe work of tue Sooiety and Museum. The Chairman drew at'entioa to the fact that tbe ca-es of birds had been thoroughly overhauled and oleaned at co.siderab c expense under the supervision cf tie Cura or. Dr. Hudson tben read an artic c on the Antitoxin treatment of diphtheria, whioh pave rise to an interesting dit'CUßsion, ia whch most of tbe members present took par. It is really to be regretted that so few ( persons avail themselves ol the invitation to be present at these meetings of the Society.