ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7067, 20 January 1891, Page 4

ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE.

YESTEEDAY'B PROCEEDINGS.

BKCTION A. — ABTRONOMT AND PHTSICAIi SCIBNCB.

At the meeting of Section A Professor ' Ljle presided. An interim report of the i Committee on Beismological records in i Australasia stated that, as the Committee ' tad not had an opportunity of conferring, j ihe Secretary could only offer the infor- | -nation he had personally collected relative ■ to the occurrence of earthquakes in New i Zealand. The thanks of the section were -ascorded to Sir James Hector, the Secretary, on whom the whole work has so far •. devolved. The President read a paper, communicated by Professor Bragg, on the ! "elastic medium" method of treating j eleotrostatic theorems, for which the \ thanks of the section were accorded, j Mr A. C. Gilford read a note on I the Gregorian calendar, showing that a ; simpler and yet far more accurate method ! of interpolating leap y ear b might have|been adopted than the present Gregorian rule. Professor Bickerton showed a new and simple proof of the forty-seventh proposition of the first book of Euclid, and gave a •short sketch of his theories on the equilibrium of free gaseous spheres and on | constructive coemical impact. Professor Aldis and the President criticised these theories, and remarked on the immense labour which would be involved in proving : -them mathematically. The thankß of the Motion were conveyed to Professor Biokerton, and the meeting adjourned. BKCTIOK B — GEOGRAPHY. Mr Percy Smith, F.8.G.5., presided at the meeting of Section £. Dr Hocken, F.L.S., read a paper on "The Earliest Explorations in New Zealand," following *those* of Captain Cook. He exhibited a copy of Cook's map of New Zealand, and showed how very accurate it was. He pointed out that for about seventy years after Cook, only coastal explorations were made, by d'TJrville, Marsden and others. He exhibited a curious map of New Zealand, drawn by a Maori kidnapped and taken to Norfolk Island. The thorough exploration of the interior of New Zealand began about 1840. The Be? W. Colenso, still surviving, made a tour through the North Island to Lake Taupo. Mr T. Kettle was one of the first to reach the Wairarapa. The exploration of the South Island did not begin till after the settlement of Nelson. Reference was ■made to the late Mr Deans, the pioneer of settlement on the Canterbury Plains, and to the exploration of the West Coast sounds by- Sir James Hector in 1863, since which the work of exploration had been done by the Survey Department. Mr F. B. Chapman gave an address on the Lakes and Sounds Districts of Otago, pointing out that a considerable portion of country between the lakes and sounds, probably containing very interesting botanical features, was still unexplored. A number of members aIBO spoke on the subject.

OTBTEKB AND OYSTER CULTUBE.

In the evening a well-attended meeting took place in the Frovineial Council Chamber. Sir Jamea Hector, President of the Association, was in the chair. Professor T. J. Parker read a lecture on oysters and oyster culture in Australia, prepared by Mr Saville Kent, Commissioner of Fisheries for Queensland. The author, who was engaged in 1889 by the Tasmanian Government to prescribe measures for the resuscitation of the oyster fishery of that Colony—practically exhausted by reckless fishing and burning the sheila — gave a brief account of his operations, as a result of which the oysters were now to be found in millions. Oyster culture in Victoria had not been a success, through want of periodical auperviaion. The Hew South Wales, fishery of the rock oyster had been injured recently by a disease -•caused by a change in the waters of the rivers discharging into the eßtnaries. In France oyster culture had raised the number of oysters taken off the artificial beds to three hundred and seventy-fire millions in 1887. In Queensland oyster culture, on the simple lines of transporting the young brood, had been successful. In New Zealand both rock and mud oysters were as yet bo abnndant that the time for their eyßtematio cultivation had apparently not yet arrived, but it was well to remember that in oyster culture lay the chief hope of the oyster consumer. On the motion of Professor Thomas, seconded by Mr F. E. Chapman, a vote of thanks was passed to Mr Kent for his admirable paper, and to Professor Parker for having read it. In the discussion which took place it was stated that the value of the oysters annually exported from New Zealand to Australia was about £10,000 ; that large numbers of Stewart Island oysters must be destroyed by the method of dredging adopted ; and that the New Zealand .Act for the protection of oystezs waa unscientifically drawn and not properly enforced. MISCELLANEOUS. The collection of the ornamental woods of New Zealand which Dr Irving yesterday gave the members of the Association an •pportunity of inspecting is unique. The doctor takes a deep interest in the subject of woodworking. He haß a splendid lathe, ; and for a long time has collected all the most beautiful and curious specimens of native woods that he could get hold of. ! These have been worked up into panels, j mouldings and other fittings for the - interior of his house, which has become a i very museum of what is rare and beautiful j in New Zealand woods.