Wellington Philosophical Society.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 13, 1880, Unnumbered Page

Wellington Philosophical Society. First Meeting. 26th June, 1880. Mr. Martin Chapman, President, in the chair. New Members.—Messrs Rouband, Macdermott, Gerse, and Mrs. John Kebbell.

Abstract. He reviewed the proceedings of the Society during the past year, the results of which appear in Vol. XII. of the Transactions, and on the whole considered that good work had been done. He particularly referred to many valuable papers under sections Ethnology, Zoology, and Botany, and the annual report of the New Zealand Institute, which is a yearly resume of all scientific work done in the colony; also, to the valuable paper on the Meteorology of New Zealand in the appendix, which contains the results, in a condensed form, of all the observations taken throughout the colony during the year by the Meteorological Department under Dr. Hector. He also called attention to a number of additions to the library on the table, including reports and catalogues lately issued by the Geological Survey and Colonial Museum Departments. Papers. 1. “Notice of a new fish, Hypolycodes haastii,” by Dr. Hector. (Transactions, p. 194). (Specimen exhibited.)

Second Meeting. 20th July, 1880. Mr. Martin Chapman, President, in the chair. New Members.—Mr. Daniel Maunsell, and Mr. E. H. Williams. Papers.

Abstract. The author gave the result of his experimental culture of a large number of different fruit trees and other plants, the introduction of which he considered of value to New Zealand. He showed that a much greater variety were suitable to the soil and climate than was generally supposed, and that if the settlers devoted attention to such cultivation they would add greatly to the resources of the country, and to the profitable employment of their industry. He has found that a great many kinds of the vine can be cultivated with success, and that even if wine could not be successfully made, the crop of grapes would yield a large profit if converted into raisins by the artificial drying process adopted in California. He has succeeded in growing twelve kinds of fruit trees from Japan, which promise good results. In illustration of the importance of the subject, he quoted the enormous sums of money obtained in other countries by the systematic cultivation of fruits. Dr. Hector thought the paper valuable and suggestive, and pointed out that in the North Island the settlers coming from Great Britain would have to rely upon many kinds of produce with which they were unfamiliar in the old country, if the best resources of the country were to be developed. Mr. Lee was glad to know that the cultivation of fruit was attracting some attention at last, as it was a valuable source of income, peculiarly adapted to the circumstances of small settlers.

The Hon. Mr. Chamberlin mentioned, as a curious circumstance, that the Cape goos-berry that used to be sold in Auckland for 3d. per pound, could not now be obtained for less than 1s. He considered it a most valuable fruit, but its cultivation did not seem to be successfully achieved. Mr. Kirk said that the Cape goosberry would grow on any good soil that was suitable to the tomato, and attributed its disappearance to the pheasant. It is not creditable to New Zealand that there should be such an enormous importation of fresh and preserved fruits from other countries, for with ordinary attention this colony should not only be self-supporting but should also be a large exporter of the best kinds of fruit. He looked forward to the successful cultivation of the orange on a large scale. The vine he did not expect to be successful, as far as making wine was concerned, as there is a want of sufficient sun-light in New Zealand at the proper season. The author had not mentioned several important plants, such as tobacco and chincona, from which quinine is made; the latter had been shown by the Auckland Acclimatisation Society to thrive well. He thought it unfortunate that there was not an experimental botanical garden established in New Zealand. Had such been the case ten or twelve years ago, the settlers might now be in possession of several valuable sources of income. Dr. Hector thought that the author would feel gratified at the reception his paper had met with. He did not agree with Mr. Kirk that there was a deficiency of sun-light, as observations had shown that in the interior of both islands the sun had a power that was unequalled in any other temperate climate, and that in consequence, even in the interior District of Otago, light wines could be produced of excellent quality. The President agreed with the last expressed opinion, and pointed out that the power of the sun depended on the dryness of the atmosphere, and that, again, on the physical conformation of the country, so that while some parts of New Zealand were unsuited to perfecting the grape other districts were well adapted for its cultivation.

Abstract. The author described the growth of many New Zealand plants, both useful and ornamental, that he had found would withstand the severity of the Scotch climate, and mentioned the economic uses to which they could be applied. In particular he instanced the application of the ribbon-wood as being better adapted for the manufacture of paper pulp than any other plant at present used for the purpose. In concluding, the author suggested that an association should be formed for the purpose of introducing useful New Zealand plants for cultivation on the West Coast of Scotland. Dr. Hector was not aware that there was such a deficiency of New Zealand plants in Scotland and England as the author stated. In Venice he had been pleased to find a very interesting collection of the New Zealand vegetation, but the best he had seen was in the Royal Society's gardens at Hobarton, which was probably due to the exertions of Sir Frederick A. Weld, K.C.M.G., when Governor there. It was worthy of note that in all the New Zealand plants of that collection the leaves were very much reduced in size, no doubt owing to the effect of the change of climate. Mr. Kirk said that the statement that the ribbon-wood was suitable for the manufacture of paper was new to him, and of great importance.

Third Meetings. 24th July, 1880. Mr. Martin Chapman, President, in the chair. Papers. 1. “On the Fossil Foramifera of Petane,” by Mr. A. Hamilton. This paper gave the results of an examination of certain fossils, by Mr. G. R. Vine, jun., of Sheffield, which had been collected by the author. (Transactions, p. 393.)

Fourth Meeting. 14th August, 1880. Mr. Chapman, President, in the Chair. New Member.—Mr. John Ralph Rees, M.I.C.E.

Fifth Meeting. 18th September, 1880. Mr. Martin Chapman, President, in the Chair. Paper.

Sixth Meeting. 10th October, 1880. Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., in the Chair. New Members.—W. H. Simcox, J. C. Harris. Papers. 1. On “Watershed Districts, by J. R. George, C.E. (Transactions, p. 119.) 2. “On the Permanency of Solar and Stellar Heat,” by Mr. Martin Chapman. (Transactions, p. 97.) 3. “On the genus Rhynchonella,” by Mr. A. McKay. (Transactions, p. 396.) Seventh Meeting, 4th December, 1880. Mr. Martin Chapman, President, in the chair. New Members.—Messrs. Noel Barraud, and Gibson.

Papers Read. 1. “On a Per-iodide of Lead, also a Carbo-iodide,” by W. Skey. (Transactions, p. 388.) This paper described a new salt, a Per-iodide of Lead, and also a new compound salt formed by the combination of carbonic acid with this Per-iodine, which has a striking blue colour similar to that produced by adding iodine to starch, and will prove a very delicate and beautiful test for the detection of minute quantities of carbonic acid. 2. “On the Dimorphism of Magnesia,” by W. Skey. (Transactions, p. 389.) In the course of experiments for the detection of gold in sea-water, the author found that magnesia is deposited in a form that absorbs iodine, giving rise to a highly coloured substance, and that the magnesia loses this property on being raised to a high temperature. It is therefore argued that the magnesia is altotropic. Further, that magnesia can be exhausted from ammoniacal solutions by galvanic action, thereby greatly shortening the chemical analysis. These tests combined are also useful in detecting the presence of

magnesia, as one ten-thousandth of a grain of magnesium can be recognized in one-half a grain of liquid. Baryta and alumina do not absorb iodine in the same way as magnesia. 3. “On Alotropic forms of certain Zinc and Cobalt Salt,” by W. Skey. (Transactions, p. 387.) This paper recorded further additions to the list of dimorphic substances.

Abstract. This paper gave the results of the microscopic examination of a large series of these rocks, and was beautifully illustrated by means of thin slices of the rocks being thrown on the screen by the oxyhydrogen microscope. The argument of the paper was to show that the primary form of the rock is that of Pitch-stone, and that a gradual passage can be traced from the vitreous Pitch-stones with laminated structure to the massive and crystalline Quartz-phorphyries, by a process of devitrifiation, and further, that it is therefore not necessary to assign these rocks to different periods of eruption. Dr. Hector stated that this was the first of a series of investigations that would be extended to all the other igneous rocks of the colony, the result of which, when fully published with illustrations, would be of great importance, not only in assisting in geological classification, but also in throwing light on the circumstances under which valuable minerals and metalliferous lodes occur. In giving a general description of the probable causes which have led to the formation of the volcanic rocks, he exhibited Prof. Marcou's recent geological chart of the world as showing that we are acquainted with the structure of only a very small portion of the land surface, while of the two-thirds of the globe covered by sea we are necessarily ignorant, unless we except recent inferences made as the result of the “Challenger” expedition, which are considered to prove that the great ocean-beds are probably of higher antiquity than most of the geological formations. At the close of the meeting the chemical tests referred to in Mr. Skey's paper were shown, and the sections of rock alluded to by Mr. Cox were demonstrated by polarising microscopes. Dr. Hector also exhibited a series of lantern views of the scenery of Te Anau Lake and Stewart Island, which he had recently obtained. Annual Meeting. 12th February, 1881. Mr. Martin Chapman, President, in the Chair. New Members—H. Hill, Napier, R. S. Hawkins, Masterton.

Explanation of Plate XVIII. Fig. 1. Canine tooth (?) lower of right side, showing the roughly fluted inner surface of the conical apex, bounded by the cutting ridges, and the large bulbous solid fang. 1″ is a section of the crown of the tooth, showing the enamel coating the dentine. 1″ is a longitudinal, and 1″' is a transverse section of a segment of the fang showing the massive cement layer coating the solid ivory of the tooth. Fig. 2. The upper canine (?) of the left side, showing the comparatively smooth exterior surface of the crown. Fig. 3. First (?) molar, exterior aspect, showing at the extremity of the fang a trilobate character, illustrated by the transverse section. Fig. 4. Second (?) molar, exterior aspect, and 4′ a lateral view of the same. Fig. 5. Third (?) molar, which has the fangs most widely′c separated of all the teeth. Fig. 6. and 6′. Two views of the fourth (?) molar. Fig. 7. and 7′. Two views, interior and posterior, of the fifth (?) molar, showing the strong unequal fangs, and the obliquely triangular crown. Fig. 9. Interior aspect of the tympanic Bulla, 9.′ exterior surface. Fig. 10. Interior or opposing surface of the Periotic.