PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE

Star (Christchurch), Issue 716, 8 September 1870, Page 4

PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE

. . — ., ■. •«> . -. . . .The first meeting. of members in their new rooms atihedLiterary Institute, was held last night, Dr Haast presiding. The secretary being absent, ordinary formal business could not be proceeded with. The President made a few observations upon the recent earthquake, intimating his intention of submitting a paper, at the next meeting of the Institute. In'ilie absence of Mr Potts,' Dr Powell read thiat.igeritleraan's paper upon the ". Ardetta Pusilla" The President read a. letter from th(B Hon. John Hall having reference to the petition forwarded to him at Wellington, by the Institute)* introspect to the establishment of a Colonial School of Mines in Canterbury: The letter sard -the 'only promise -obtained from the Government on the matter was that-they^would iake-into their consideration the advisability of establishing such.a school at Welirogton. ThelHouse was veipy. full of work,'aiia"Mr Hall was afraid there -would be little opportunity .of pushipg r the matter: priyately. U;he .President remarked that! members' had no doubt , seen by -the papers what had 1 been the subsequent result of the petition. He was afraid' there was but little hope of the project being successful, but the committee appointed by the Institute having in view the s great f importance of the mattor, and that J it was for the good of the whole coloay, would not let it rest. .thus but would bring upmore , resolutions at the next meeting of theldatitute. The president announced 4ha tithe Museum ••■would- be open in>abontr a fotttiigtitj or'a^qrihTestbefore the next 'meeting 'df^tho «a?r<rrincial -Council. Tbere'haidfeHeen'Tntlch'Tnojte Trdrk.than^te expected in preparing it, atftfhenee'the delay;' In reply to a question, Mr Ti'Hall stated that the native grasses committee had not yet procured muchjinfprmation. The\-winter^ how.ever, being-o-Eer^hey -would no- doubt be able-appn.tocpnjplete iaboura. i^he p^esi^entßaidihe had received a.coilecUgn o|» ae?,dßifrom'«Yieaßa,. amopgst -which were $6 ki^da of grass seeds. Thesehad bean, pjaced in the hands of_Mr Armstrong, 4he Gorcrn-ment.gardentr,-wJio.wouH.«B6w'them JmJtlte gardeos. ■ .^Dr Powell asked members mrhethet theyv bad observed %h$ curious phenomena,- of "Parhelion",. in the»sky >©n /Sunday da»t; Between the- hours o£ three and jfive . o^clpck> he saw two bright spots, one onvgach «ide.of the-Bun wWch-had a tendency to form a circle of : prismatic colours round tt.e < orb -itself. They were ascribed to (floating .ice crystals in th& higher, regions of- the atmosphere, and when-thesun sunk. lower it was surrounded by. a very bright halo. Several members said

-they^Ateo-noticed the phenomenon, and a conversational discussion ensued thereon. The meeting then adjourned. ■