Wellington Philosophical Society.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 22, 1889, Unnumbered Page

Wellington Philosophical Society. First Meeting: 12th June, 1889. A. de B. Brandon, President, in the chair. New Members.—E. Samuell, Robert Evenden, H. B. Vogel, and F. W. L. Kirk.

Second Meeting: 10th July, 1889. A. de B. Brandon, President, in the chair. New Members.—T. Buckridge and E. Maxwell. Papers.—1. “On an Entomological Tour on the Table-land of Mount Arthur,” by G. V. Hudson, F.E.S. (Transactions, p. 179.) A collection of the insects taken by the author, arranged according to the elevation at which they occurred, was shown, attention being directed to the gradual darkening in the coloration of the specimens with the increase of altitude. Sir James Hector considered that Mr. Hudson had broken new ground, and shown how interesting is the study of the natural history of well-selected areas. The Salisbury table-land was peculiarly interesting, being one of the few surviving remnants of the great plateau out of which the New Zealand mountains had been sculptured during the more recent Tertiary period. The existing fauna and flora now found in the valleys and on the mountain-slopes must have descended from the ancient forms that now inhabited the plateau. On a former occasion the Society had before them in that room the collection made by Mr. McKay of the moa-remains found on the surface of the same plateau-remnant, which included evidence of the nature of the food and mode of nidification of these extinct birds. In 1863 the speaker examined another such remnant of the ancient land-surface, which he named Pigeon Hill, inland from Jackson's Bay, and there found tracks which must have been beaten down through the almost impenetrable scrub-growth by heavy-bodied birds like the moa, and also excavations, which had evidently been resting-places. Small birds like kiwi, kakapo, and wood-hen, by the constant use of these tracks had kept them open, though they

never could have made them in the first instance; and their great antiquity was proved by the manner in which they led up to both sides of great rents that had shattered the mountain-plateau, arising from that constant denudation of its flanks which was still in progress. The accurate study of such areas would afford a splendid holiday outing for young New Zealand naturalists. With respect to this particular locality, a good beginning had been made by Mr. McKay in its geology, Mr. Cheeseman in its botany; and now Mr. Hudson had in this paper shown that its insect-life was full of food for study. The mystery referred to of the blue-bottle fly occurring at high altitudes had yet to be solved; the speaker had seen them issuing in thousands from a crevasse in a glacier at 8,000ft. altitude. Mr. McKay said that on the east edge of the table-land there was a tract of country honeycombed with caves, which should afford a large field to those in search of such forms as had been described by Mr. Hudson; but care would be required in venturing into the deeper recesses of this cavernous formation, since, if once the way were lost, escape would be almost impossible. Mr. Park had seen the flesh-fly in great numbers at altitudes of 5,000ft. to 6,000ft. Mr. Hudson, in reply, said that, with reference to the remarks made by Sir James Hector and others on the occurrence of the flesh-fly at great elevations, on glaciers, &c., he could only explain the circumstance as instances of insect-migrations. The blue-bottle fly, owing to its longevity (many individuals frequently living fully nine months in the imago state), would be especially able to undertake such journeys; and the fact of its doing so in past times might be inferred from the present universal distribution of the species of flesh-flies throughout New Zealand. In reply to questions by Mr. Maskell as to the universal occurrence of dark-coloured insects at high altitudes and in the arctic regions, the author stated that all collections which had yet been made either on the tops of mountain-ranges or in the northern arctic or sub-arctic regions exhibited an invariable tendency to melanism; that it was considered to be the result of natural selection winnowing out the lighter forms, which were unable to stand in the struggle with the cold, and that those whose colouring enabled them to absorb the transient heat had alone survived. The white coloration of the warm-blooded vertebrates in the arctic regions was advantageous to them in enabling them to retain their internal heat, and the dark coloration to the Insectœ in enabling them to absorb the external heat. 2. “On certain Rare Minerals associated with the Tin-ore of Stewart Island,” by William Skey, Analyst, Geological Survey. (Transactions, p. 415.) 3. “Notes on the Minerals from Stewart Island described by Mr. Skey,” by Alexander McKay, F.G.S. (Transactions, p. 415.) Sir James Hector said that tin had been found in small quantities in various parts of New Zealand, but Port Pegasus was quite a new though not an unexpected locality. He fully expected the same class of mineralized rocks to be found along the west side of Te Anau Lake. The variety of rare mineral specimens which had been collected by Mr. McKay, and analysed and identified by Mr. Skey, was very remarkable and especially promising. Giving a description of the range of the formation, by reference to a large geological map, Sir J. Hector pointed out that the mineral belt, which was characterized by highly-differentiated and

crystallized mineral species, was not to be confounded with the mineral belt of Hochstetter, often referred to in the Geological Reports, and which was characterized by the abundance of magnesian impregnations of the rock, and the occurrence of the ores of copper and chrome. This belt extended, but not continuously, from Nelson to the West Coast north of Milford Sound, whereas the tin-bearing rocks were in relation to granite-masses. He fully expected that the intersections of the system would yield valuable minerals. Discovery might be hastened by accident; and most probably the development of this form of the mineral wealth of the colony would be slow, and depend largely on the practical skill that is employed in the search. To find a white quartz in a blue slate was an easy matter, but to detect and trace mineral lodes required special training. Mr. Marchant asked if the granite which occurred near the Owen and Wangapeka was the same as the tin-bearing granite of Stewart Island. Sir James Hector, in reply, said that there were several distinct forms of granite. He did not consider that the granite east of Mount Owen was the same as that north of Reefton, where tin had been found: it was probably of much later date. The Separation Point granite was again different.

Third Meeting: 31st July, 1889. Mr. A. de B. Brandon, President, in the chair. New Member.—S. Percy Smith, F.R.G.S. Papers.—1. “On the Soaring of the Hawk—A possible Reason for Notched Wing-feathers,” by T. W. Kirk, F.R.M.S. (Transactions, p. 325.) Sir J. Hector said he considered Mr. Kirk's observations to be of great interest. The question of how the soaring flight of birds was mechanically maintained had long been a subject of discussion, and there were several interesting papers in the “Transactions of the New Zealand Institute” dealing with it. He had always held that the investigation should be founded on the anatomy of the birds. Many years ago, with Sir W. Buller, he had made dissections of the muscular attachments of the wing of the albatros, and at the time thought he had found evidence of the existence of tendinous expansions from the brachial muscles that could exercise a rotating influence on the quill-feathers, after the elbow-and wrist-joints were locked in full extension. The extended arm of the wing would then act as a sustaining parachute, while a slight “feathering” movement of the primaries, acting with the leverage at a distance from the centre of gravity of the bird, would exercise a great influence in controlling its direction of flight. Specimens of the albatros preserved in spirit had been sent Home, and submitted by Sir W. Buller to competent authorities, however, and this view had not been sustained. So far as he was aware, the mechanical effect of the interlocking of the primaries, rendered possible by their peculiar emarginations, as described by Mr. Kirk's paper, was certainly a novelty. The Hon. R. Pharazyn called attention to a series of pictures in the Illustrated London News, taken from instantaneous photographs, showing the rotary motion of the wing-feathers of birds in flight. He stated that the motion varied in different parts of the wing, and he believed it quite possible that in some species the peculiar motion mentioned by the author did take place. Mr. Kirk, in reply, said he did not enter upon the question of the supposed rotary motion of the wing-coverts at all. And the amount of rotary motion required in the primaries, supposing his idea to be correct, was very small—merely sufficient to allow the feathers to lock in the manner indicated. He was aware that the structure of the terminal joint would seem to preclude the possibility of a rotary motion of the primaries; but he believed that careful observations in the field and laboratory, aided by experiments, would yet prove that it was possible for the bird to alter the position of these feathers at will.

Fourth Meeting: 28th August, 1889. Charles Hulke, F.C.S., Vice-president, in the chair. New Members.—J. B. Harcourt and F. Wallace Mackenzie, M.B.Ed.

Fifth Meeting: 2nd October, 1889. A. de B. Brandon. President, in the chair. New Member.—Robert Heaton Rhodes. Papers.—1. “On Eristalis tenax and Musca vomitoria, two Flies new to New Zealand,” by G. V. Hudson. F.E.S. (Transactions, p. 187.) Sir James Hector asked the author of the paper whether he could offer any explanation as to why the humble-bee had spread with such rapidity in the South, and not made its appearance in the North Island. Mr. Travers said he had liberated the humble-bee in the neighbourhood of Masterton two years ago, and they must have increased, as he had seen them in his own garden in Wellington. He procured them for the purpose of fertilizing the red clover. The Acclimatization Society had not paid sufficient attention to this matter. With respect to M. vomitoria, it was looked upon with dread by the sheep-farmer in England, as it not only damaged the wool, but deposited its ova in the sheep, and caused great trouble; so that it was rather alarming to learn that this fly had appeared here. Mr. Phillips had noticed that sheep had been attacked by flies in the way described by Mr. Travers, and the remedy used was kerosene. Mr. McKay said that the sheep were attacked when the wool was moist, especially on warm wet spring mornings, and the fly did not confine its attack to one particular part, but attacked various parts. The introduction of M. vomitoria was a serious thing for the sheep-farmer. Mr. Maskell said that attempts were made in the early days to introduce the humble-bee in Canterbury, but they were not a success. Five or six years ago, however, there was a fresh importation. The increase had been something wonderful; in fact, they had in the South become a nuisance, and the people complained that they deprived the ordinary bee of the means of making honey. The Hon. R. Pharazyn said bees and flies were like rabbits—when first introduced they were not noticed, but after a time the increase was so enormous that it was difficult to keep them down. Mr. Field said it was easy to drive away the humble-bee by growing the common elder, which they objected to. He was advised not to take them to Wanganui, as they spoilt the flowers. Mr. Hudson, in reply, said that the probable reason why the humble-bee had not established itself in the North Island was owing to its being a social insect, thus rendering the introduction of an entire nest necessary for its establishment in any fresh locality.

2. “On Rabbit-disease in the South Wairarapa,” by Coleman Phillips. (Transactions, p. 308) The President, in inviting discussion, remarked that he did not understand why the author should complain of it as selfish to make use of the rabbit-proof fence if it formed a protection against the pest. He would like also to know what Mr. Phillips meant by a “minimum-of-safety stage.” Mr. Travers said that the spread of the disease referred to could only be successful when a proper “host” was provided. He favoured the introduction of the natural enemy; but the ferret was not well understood—it was a delicate creature, and numbers died in the winter from cold. Proper breeding-establishments should be erected, and this would be better than importing the animals. Sir James Hector said, as he had been referred to by the author of the paper, he ventured to express an opinion that the only effectual way of dealing with the rabbit-plague was by following Nature; but he had not much faith in some so-called natural enemies, unless it could be shown that they would be able to destroy by communicating disease. Many years ago he had called the attention of Government to the sudden and periodical disappearance of rabbits from the north-west territory of Canada, speaking from his own experience. Government had obtained ample evidence confirming this important fact, but up to the present time the nature of the disease had not been ascertained. It was evidently related in some way to the carnivorous animals that prey on the rabbits. His own recollection of the symptoms favoured the idea that it in some way resulted from the direct or indirect action of Entozoa. He had therefore suggested that the bladder-worm and liver-fluke of the rabbit might be a modified form of the same disease. It was certainly not the same so far as its virulence went; but the question was, whether these bladder-worms might not under peculiar conditions become the carriers of microbes that set up a more active specific disease, either like chicken-cholera, or perhaps a putrid fever which becomes contagious. Anyhow, it was not enough merely to say what this disease was not. The great importance of the subject to these colonies required that the nature and cause of this disease should be found out; and unless good reason could be shown that it would endanger other forms of life, of which there was no evidence as yet, then let it be introduced; and, if it worked as the speaker had seen it do in Western Canada, the difficulty would be at an end. Perhaps it might be done by bringing some of the rabbits from the affected districts and turning them out here. It was obvious that any cause that would prevent the does from breeding was what must be aimed at. Speaking of the various natural enemies. Sir James said he had some years ago suggested that the black ferret of the American prairies should be introduced, as it was a fierce hunter, and, being a perfectly wild animal, would probably be more hardy than the English ferret. Mr. Field said,—I have listened with great pleasure to Mr. Phillips's paper and Sir James Hector's remarks, because they seem to me to throw light on what has long been a great puzzle to myself and others—viz., the reason why rabbits will not thrive between the Tararua Range and New Plymouth, nor, apparently, from there northward. They have been repeatedly turned loose, but have never become troublesome, and generally have died out in a few years without apparent cause. I may mention the following cases within my own knowledge: I first saw rabbits running wild in New Zealand at Taranaki, in September, 1851. There were then a good many near the Grey Institution, and thence to Omata. I learned, in 1886, that they had been extinct there so long that only a few old settlers seemed to recollect them. I saw many rabbits a few weeks later between the Manawatu and Rangitikei Rivers, where they had been

turned out by Dr. Best, who had occupied a run there. There are still a few in that locality, near Carnarvon—about one to the hundred acres. A year or two ago they seemed to be increasing on the Oroua Downs run, and the manager employed men to destroy them, and killed off several hundreds. I next saw rabbits towards the end of 1851, about the head of the Wanganui Racecourse, and thence to Kai-iwi. There were large numbers of them, the country being sandy fern-hills, and flats of manuka scrub and toetoe. A few years later they disappeared, and there have been none there for at least twenty years. From 1852 to 1854 I was often along the coast between Wanganui and New Plymouth, and saw rabbits near almost every pa, the Maoris having liberated them. At Nukumaru. where at that time I have shot four or five couple in an afternoon, there are still a few, which sometimes increase for a year or two, and then die off again; and a local paper mentioned several years back that the Sheep Inspector had ridden into Hawera, much excited at having seen a rabbit by the roadside. This was in a place where in 1853 they might have been counted by hundreds. About 1855 rabbits were turned out at Goat Valley, near Wanganui, and spread rapidly. The soil was sandy loam, covered with fern, and with patches of scrubby bush at the heads of blind gullies, of which they took possession. Several years later a settler who lived two miles off went to England, and on his return brought out two Skye terriers. Soon afterwards the rabbits disappeared, and these dogs got the credit of having killed them all. They may have killed some close at home, but were not likely to do so several miles off. From 1860 to 1865 there were large numbers of rabbits along the coast-country between the Wanganui and Wangaehu Rivers, and the Wanganui lads used often to get a fair bag of them on a Saturday afternoon. When surveying there in 1880 I saw two rabbits in four days; and I do not think there are even so many now. About 1858 rabbits were turned loose between Turakina and Marton, and increased for a time; now, I learn that only an occasional one is seen. In all these cases the rabbits turned out were tame ones, and it was thought that perhaps they were too delicate to live wild. About 1855, however, the late Major Nixon returned from Nelson to Wanganui, and shortly afterwards he got some wild rabbits from Nelson, and turned them loose on his land opposite the town. The place seemed made for rabbits—pumice soil, with large areas covered with furze and high manuka scrub. By 1862 they had spread to a distance of two or three miles, and were in considerable numbers; but a year or two later they disappeared as if by magic, and I have not seen or heard of any there since. About 1865 the Wanganui Acclimatization Society took some trouble to get wild rabbits from Canterbury, and turned them out near my own house. The conditions—pumice soil overgrown with furze and manuka scrub—seemed to suit them exactly; and they increased so rapidly as to threaten to become a nuisance. I saw many in my paddock, and shot several in my garden. They held their ground for perhaps ten years, and then died out. The conditions are unchanged, yet I have not seen or heard of a rabbit thereabouts for certainly five years. About twelve years ago I went to Palmerston North, and found the people there rather excited at rabbits having appeared at Fitzherbert. They were supposed to have crossed the range from the Wairarapa side. Several years later I inquired about them, and learned that they were seen for a time and then disappeared. When in Auckland in 1886 I saw rabbits running loose in a friend's paddock, and on my remarking the fact my friend said that they did no harm in that part—that they had been repeatedly turned out, and always died off after a short time. It seems to me that it might be worth while to try and find out what kills the rabbits over so large a portion of this island, and endeavour to introduce it elsewhere. It would be far better than introducing ferrets and weasels, which will kill the poultry and game as well as the rabbits. But rabbits are not the only things that

die off in our part. Rats are a great pest; the bush swarms with them. Pigs, too, are fairly numerous, and form an important article of food to survey- and road-parties, bush-fellers, and others. Every few years, however, one sees dead rats and pigs lying about in considerable numbers; and the rest are scarcely able to crawl about, and fall away to skin and bone. In these seasons a wild pig fit to eat cannot be found. The rats seem to be first attacked. About November dead ones are seen lying about, and soon afterwards there are dead pigs also. I have thought the pigs perhaps get infected through eating the dead rats. The disease lasts all through the summer; but the animals which survive till April or May seem to recover. As I learned that the subject of rabbits was to be discussed to-night, I thought it might be well to mention what I have now said, as it may lead to inquiry, and so to some simple means being found of keeping down these animals. Mr. C. Pharazyn admitted that the disease mentioned by Mr. Phillips carried off a certain number of rabbits; but said that by the aid of ferrets and other natural enemies he had got rid of the pest on his property. At one time a man could go out on the land and get eighty rabbits a day, but now it would be difficult to kill three per diem; and all this had been done at a cost of not more than £100. He firmly believed in the natural enemies, because a flesh-eating animal was required to destroy one which subsisted on grass and other green stuff. Millions of pounds were being lost through the rabbits, and yet Government took no effective means to eradicate the pest. He suggested that Government should place the matter of rabbit-extermination in the hands of some scientific men. Mr. C. Hulke confirmed Mr. Field's statement regarding the disappearance of the rabbits from the district round about Wanganui. Sir James Hector thought it was possible the wild native dogs might have had something to do with the disappearance of rabbits in the district mentioned by Messrs. Field and Hulke. European dogs, when ill, relieved themselves by eating grass and herbs; but it was possible the wild dogs did not do this, and that the diseases from which they suffered were caught by the rabbits, who died in consequence. Mr. Field explained that the pure native dog had disappeared long ago. The wild dogs of the present day were animals which were a cross between the Maori and the European dog. The Hon. R. Pharazyn pointed out that there had been a mysterious disappearance of rabbits from the Waitotara district. This had been attributed to wet seasons; but he was unable to say whether the wet weather had anything to do with the diminution of the pest. Mr. W. H. Beetham, at the invitation of the Chairman (though not a member of the Society), made some remarks on the subject, and said he also favoured the introduction of the natural enemies, as he looked upon poisoning and trapping as much too costly. He attributed the great decrease of rabbits in the South Wairarapa to the introduction of ferrets. stoats, and weasels. The loss in the Wairarapa through the rabbit-pest was something enormous, the cost of poisoning on his station in six weeks amounting to £800. He was afraid that, unless effective means were taken to eradicate the plague, many property-owners would be ruined. Mr. Coleman Phillips, in reply to the President, said that the expression used by him, “minimum-of-safety stage,” meant that stage beyond which the rabbits could not be reduced. With regard to what had fallen from Mr. Travers respecting the delicacy of the ferret, he would say that the ferret had increased in the Wairarapa, notwithstanding its delicacy; but he would advise runholders to build little inexpensive earth homes, and cover them with scrub, in different parts of their runs, as a protection to ferrets, stoats, and weasels. In answer to Sir James Hector, Mr. Phillips asked him to qualify his statement “that he had not much faith

in the natural enemy.” Nor did he believe in the plan advocated, to kill the does and let the bucks go. The does could not be killed upon the Crown lands. In reply to Mr. Field, he thought the results of that observer's experience on the West Coast worthy of careful consideration. He believed that the dingo in Australia would be found a most useful animal to spread the bladder-worm in that great continent. In reply to Mr. W. H. Beetham, Mr. Phillips said that the rabbit-pest was pretty well conquered upon the runs near the Ruamahanga before Mr. Riddiford's stoats and weasels were liberated at all. In fact, it was conquered upon the Dry River Run without a stoat or a weasel ever coming there. But the steps taken in the conquest were carefully recorded and were fairly well known. When other localities cared to adopt them, they could also conquer their swarms. But fencing must not be relied upon, and trapping should be absolutely prohibited. No good could possibly be done until that was stopped. Bad spots could be properly cleaned out, not by trapping or fumigating, but by following the old practice of using tame ferrets and nets. There was nothing new to be learned about this rabbit question. The mistake was when the Royal Commission in Sydney sought for something new. The bladder-worm disease was as old as the hills, and well known for centuries in England. It did not sweep off the rabbits, but it stopped their breeding up again. He never claimed that it swept off its millions. 3. “Further Notes on Coccididæ, with Descriptions of New Species from Australia, Fiji, and New Zealand,” by W. M. Maskell, F.R.M.S. (Transactions, p. 133.) 4. “On some Species of Psyllidæ in New Zealand,” by W. M. Maskell. (Transactions, p. 157.) 5. “On some Aleurodidæ from New Zealand and Fiji,” by W. M. Maskell. (Transactions, p. 170.) Sixth Meeting: 4th December, 1889. A. de B. Brandon, President, in the chair. New Members.—T. H. Fraser and Archibald D. Cooper. It was announced that Mr. A. de B. Brandon, who had been nominated by the Society, had been elected a Governor of the New Zealand Institute for the ensuing year. Papers.—1. “Remarks on Pathogenic Microbes, and the Means of preventing Diseases originating in their Introduction into the System,” by W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. (Transactions, p. 55.) Sir James Hector praised the paper as an attempt to popularize the recent advances in this important question. Hitherto such subjects had been discussed too much as matters of special science by only a few; but the time had come when it was necessary to dispel the prevailing notions on infectious diseases, as they were little better than superstitions. This could only be done by the diffusion of accurate views derived from experimental science. He had within the last few weeks heard an excellent lecture delivered by Dr. de Zouche in Dunedin, which gave the fullest and latest information;* Vide Art. III., p. 31, supra. and had also read the discus-

sions before the Biological Congresses held this year in Paris and Glasgow, which he recommended to members as giving the latest views, which represent that microbes are not utterly obnoxious. They are, in fact, our best friends, being the natural scavengers that remove effete organic matter. The speaker then described the relation of the white corpuscles of the blood to microbes, and the poisonous products produced by the latter from the albumen compounds both in the live body (leucomaines) and in the dead carcass (ptomaines). He looked on man's industrial life as a continual struggle to prevent the microbes getting the upper hand. Correct knowledge of their life-history was especially important to this colony, where we had to depend so largely on organic products for our exports. Success in our methods of preparing produce for export—meat by freezing, and dairy products and beers by fermentation—all required thorough knowledge of such matters. Sanitary arrangements, suggested by the soundest scientific views, could be as easily adopted in this colony as any other, as they had not to compete with prejudice or vested interests. The question of overcoming the many pests that harass our industries must depend on our being able to spread epidemic disease, through the agency of microbes, but only in the direction we require. Thus the much-discussed rabbit-plague, there was no doubt, would only be overcome by bringing this branch of knowledge to bear on it; and the same with most insect blights. He thought Mr. Travers deserved the best thanks of the Society for the information he had given in his admirable paper. Mr. Tregear expressed the opinion that some properly-authorized person should be appointed to inspect the meat-supply. If there was the least shadow of truth in the assertions frequently made, then there was considerable danger in the way matters were now being conducted. Mr. Brandon said it was satisfactory to find that this important subject was becoming more understood. It was necessary, however, to go into the details most minutely, so as to acquire real knowledge. He understood that Sir James Hector did not believe there was any foundation for the recent scare on the subject of cancer. Sir James Hector, in reply to Mr. Brandon and Mr. Tregear, said he quite agreed that there should be thorough inspection of all food-animals, and of dead meat, as in other countries, but he did not believe that the meat in this colony was any more diseased than elsewhere, and thought it was quite the reverse. It would be very injurious to the community if erroneous ideas on the subject were spread abroad; and loose or reckless writing on the subject must do real harm and create distrust of sound scientific teaching. The diseases of animals and plants used as food were not new things. The safeguard was thorough cooking of the food. Man had been defined as “a cooking animal.” Probably it was this long-inherited instinct that had enabled the human race to conserve its growing store of experience, while other races of animals disappeared in succession, chiefly through epidemic disease. Mr. Travers, in reply, said it was no wonder he could not give the latest information on the subject—he was not in possession of the latest works. His object was to place before the Society the facts of the case. The subject was a large one, and it was impossible to exhaust it. It was quite possible to prevent the spread of disease, and the public bodies should do their duty in the matter. He read extracts from a French paper calling attention to the killing of meat, and stating that 25 per cent. was rejected. He had not much faith in veterinary surgeons as being the proper persons to investigate this subject. 2. “On the Moriori,” by E. Tregear, F.R.G.S. (Transactions, p. 75.) The author read a letter from Mr. Shand, which described a basket canoe presented to the Colonial Museum; and also exhibited photographs of certain rock-carvings and figures carved on karaka-trees.

Sir James Hector said that the carvings on the karaka-trees mentioned by Mr. Tregear had been described by Mr. Travers in the “Transactions.”* Vol. ix., p. 19, and pl. i. There was another canoe of somewhat similar construction also in the Museum, presented some years ago

Annual Meeting: 19th February, 1890. A. de B. Brandon, President, in the chair. New Member.—H. M. Stowell. 1. The annual report and balance-sheet were read and adopted. Abstract The report reviewed the work of the year, mentioning that twenty-two papers had been read, and that interesting as well as valuable discussions had followed the various contributions. The microscopic section had pursued independent investigations into minute life, and had contributed an exhibit to the Dunedin Exhibition. Altogether, as far as scientific and useful work was concerned, the Society might fairly be said to have had a successful session. The report noted the formation of a Field Naturalists' Club, which should prove a powerful auxiliary to the Society. Twelve new members had joined the Society during the year