Wellington Philosophical Society.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 28, 1895, Unnumbered Page

Wellington Philosophical Society. First Meeting: 3rd July, 1895. Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., President, in the chair. The President expressed his thanks for the honour conferred upon him by his election to the chair for the current year. He made a brief reference to the recent death of Professor Huxley, to whose distinguished abilities he pad a graceful tribute. Mr. Kirk then read his inaugral address, “The Displacement of Species.” (Transactions, p. 1.) Sir James Hector proposed a vote of thanks to the President for his interesting address. He agreed with the view that the vast changes which had been effected in the fauna and flora could never be recovered from. Some were good and others very bad, and often resulted from the misdirected energy of colonists who did not realise how easy it is to disturb the delicate balance of nature. Mr. Travers had great pleasure in seconding the vote of thanks. He had often pointed out the necessity of taking steps to prevent the introduction of undesirable plants, &c. Foreign organisms obtain a greater flourishing power here than in their own climate. He had observed the rapid growth in New Zealand of plants that would be considered insignificant in their own country-and the same with insects. Nothing was done to prevent the spread of injurious plants and insects in the first instance, and it is difficult to do it now. Snakes and toads are not allowed into the country, although they are really useful; but stoats and weasels are introduced, and they are doing harm all over the country, and it is penal to destroy them. The vote of thanks was carried. Mr. Kirk returned thanks. New Members.-Dr. A. G. Talbot, Mr. A. Haylock. Second Meeting : 17th July, 1895. Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., President, in the chair. Papers.—1. “On Rare Lepidopterain the Wellington District,” by W. P. Cohen. Specimens exhibited. (Transactions p.377.) The President said there was much interesting information in Mr. Cohen's paper, and complimented him for making such a valuable coleetion.

Sir James Hector thanked Mr. Cohen for his offer to leave the specimens in the Museum for a few weeks on exhibition.

Third Meeting : 31st July, 1895. Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., President, in the chair. The President: Before entering on the formal business of the meeting I wish to draw your attention to a subject in connection with which the various societies affiliated with the New Zealand Institute appear to have been slightly remiss, if I may venture to say so. A recent mail brought news of the death of Dr. David Lyall, R.N., at Cheltenham, in his seventy-eighth year. Many present will be familiar with his name as the medical officer in charge of the botanical collections on board the “Terror,” one of the ships of the British Antarctic Expedition, 1839–43. I have no intention of giving a full account of his work, as that is being done by Sir Joseph Hooker, with whom he was so closely associated in botanical explorations on the Auckland and Campbell Islands, the Bay of Islands, Falkland. Islands, Magellan Straits, Kerguelen Land, &c.; but I may remind you that when, in 1847, Admiral Stokes commissioned the “Acheron” for survey work on the west coast of the South Island, Dr. Lyall was appointed medical officer, and for three years lost no opportunity of engaging in botanical exploration in the South Island and in Stewart Island; and it was not until Sir James Hector's adventurous exploration of the western portion of Otago that any additions were made to the mass of information collected by Dr. Lyall with regard to the phytology of that district. Full testimony to the value of Dr. Lyall's work is borne by Sir Joseph Hooker throughout the “Handbook of the New Zealand Flora.” To my mind, the additions made by him to the cryptogamic flora of Dusky Bay show his keen power of observation to great advantage, following as he did such excellent collectors as Forster, attached to Cook's second expedition, and Menzies, who accompanied. Vancouver's expedition. It must also be remembered that he had high merit as a naturalist. The first account of the kakapo that reached Europe was contained in a paper prepared by him, which was read before the Zoological Society in 1852, and attracted great attention. Now, the point I wish to make is this; that, after having rendered such great service in the elaboration of the New Zealand flora, his name has not been placed on the roll of honorary members of the New Zealand Institute. Unquestionably this is simply an oversight, but one much to be regretted. We have been remiss alike in the discharge of duty and in the exercise of privilege; and I venture to suggest that, when the members are next called upon to nominate individuals for honorary membership, those who have rendered direct service to the scientific workers of the colony in past years should have preference over those whose claims, however worthy, are of a more general character. As one of the oldest members, and for some years a governor of the Institute, I confess myself blameworthy in not having drawn attention to this point, at an earlier date.

Fourth Meeting: 21st August, 1895. Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., President, in the chair. Papers.—1. “On the Unusual Abundance of Certain Species of Plume-months during 1894–95” (with specimens), by G. V. Hudson, F.G.S. (Transactions, p. 379.) Sir James Hector would like to know about what time of the year these moths occur, and are they injurious to plants? Is it the caterpillar of this moth that perforates the leaves of the Piper excelsum ? Sir W. Buller said that the Piper excelsum is attacked in private, gardens as well as in the bush, the plants in his garden having their leaves completely riddled. The President thought that the abundance or absence of these insects was owing to the scarcity of the plants they feed on, and also to temperature; but no definite conclusion has yet been arrived at on the subject. Mr. Hudson, in reply, said that he was not yet sufficiently acquainted with the life-history of these moths to say positively if they injured plants. He knew they fed on Piper excelsum, but did not think they injured the plant. The occured from November to February. Perhaps it was the absence of their special enemies that caused these moths to be so abundant during the seasons mentioned. 2. “Notes on New Zealand Ornithology in the Marlborough District,” by Walling Handley; communicated by Sir Walter Buller. (Transactions, p. 360.) The President said that a record of this kind was very valuable. Unfortunately, some of our native birds were fast disappearing from many districts where they were once numerous. He was glad to hear that the pigeon was still plentiful in Marlborough, as there were very few localities in which it was to be found in any quantity. 3. “Further Notes on the Ornithology of New Zealand,” with an exhibition of specimens, by Sir Walter Buller, K.C.M.G., F.R.S. (Transactions, p. 326. 4. “On the Occurrence of the Nankeen Kestrel of Australia (Cerchneis cenchroides) in New Zealand,” by Sir Walter Buller, K.C.M.G., F.R.S. (Transactions, p. 359.) Mr. Travers said his son had examined Stephen Island, and had come to the conclusion that there were not more than about a dozen of the small wrens on the island. He would not have sent all those he obtained-seven in number-to England had he at first known they were so scarce. He believed that now the birds were absolutely extinct on the island. The whitehead he understood was common on the wooded hills at the back of Paraparaumu. The various islands should be visited, and collections made for our museums; and he agreed that steps should be taken to protect our birds. The rail at the Chatham Islands is fast being destroyed. He considered that the naturalists themselves do a great deal of mischief in getting rid of the rare birds. Mr. Hudson thought that science was much indebted to Sir W. Buller for the extremely interesting and able paper just read. In 1893 he himself had written a short paper pointing out the immediate necessity for making extensive collections of New Zealand plants and animals, so many species of which would no doubt shortly become extinct.

Mr. Harding said that we should certainly endeavour to protect our rare species of birds. He would suggest that the Maoris be asked to supply notes of the life-history of those creatures that are soon likely to pass away. A native chief lately described how native birds are captured, and gave very good drawings, and the Maoris were well able to supply valuable information about the native birds. He might mention, in passing, that Mr. Colenso was quite recently searching for some mineral specimens at his house in Napier and came on a box of botanical specimens collected fifty years ago, and until now quite forgotten. Among them are three native ferns never met with since by himself or other observers. No doubt we shall hear about them soon from Mr. Colenso. The President said he heartily indorsed Sir Walfcer Buller's protest against the trinomial nomenclature which, was now becoming fashionable amongst zoologists. He considered it to be useless for any good purpose, while it must inevitably cause confusion. He was glad to think that it was not likely to be adopted in New Zealand. Sir W. Buller, in reply, said lie was glad to find that one occupying the position of our President, and actively engaged in scientific work, was so strong an advocate of the binomial system of nomenclature. As to Mr. Travers's remarks about the supposed extinction of the island-wren, be thought that the cat that had done so much for science, in having : brought in uninjured all the known specimens of this interesting bird, verily deserved an apotheosis; although, in his opinion, it would have been better to have kept eats out of the, island altogether. It was satisfactory, however, to learn that Mr. H. Travers's seven specimens had all been secured by Mr. W. Rothschild, because he would make good use of them in the interest of science, and because the Tring Museum was already famous for its New Zealand rarities. For all that, he still urged the permanent importance of compiling a type-collection of rare birds for the Colonial Museum before their final extinction had rendered it impossible. Of almost equal importance with this was the completion of their history; and he quite agreed with Mr. Harding that it would be well to encourage intelligent Maoris to record their observations. He had seen the paper by Tamati Ranapiri on the ancient modes of snaring wild birds, which had been contributed to the Polynesian Society. It was most interesting from every point of view; and the pen-and-ink sketches by the writer with which it was illustrated were very creditable productions. So called savages were known to be good observers of nature, and it would be quite a step in the right direction to invite contributions of this kind for our Transactions. The President exhibited specimens of the true edelweiss (Leoniopodium alpinum, Cass.), from the Alps; also of the so-called New Zealand edelweiss (Helichrysysum leontopodium, Hook. f.), from Hikurangi, East Cape district; and Helichrysum grandiceps, Hook. f., from Mount Rolleston, in the South Island. He stated that the former was the Gnaphalium colensoi, Hook. f., of the “Handbook of the New Zealand Flora,” and drew attention to the fact that Helichrysum pauciflorum-a new species described in the last volume of the Transactions-differed from H. grandiceps only in the absence of the large woolly bracts and in certain minor characters.

Fifth Meeting: 4th September, 1895. Mr. T. Kirk, President, in the chair. Papers.—1. “On the Construction of the Comb of the Hive-bee,” by Coleman Phillips. (Transactions, p. 479.) The author asserted not only that Darwin and all the followers of Darwin who have dealt with the same subject have wholly failed to account for the origin and growth of the habits and powers exercised by the hive-bee in its various operations, and more especially in the construction of the honeycomb, but also that the laws propounded by Darwin and his followers as regulating the evolution of habits and instincts are entirely insufficient to produce the observed results. And he further contended, in support of his assertion, that the exercise by this insect of its observed habits and powers must be referred to its possessing what are understood as reasoning faculties, derived by it, in common with all other forms of life, from what he terms “some force, energy, or intelligence in nature” or “common vital force.” Mr. Tregear did not see any reason for suggesting any force other than those already recognised by science. The power of natural selection to differentiate and to reject unstable combinations was sufficient to account for the advantages possessed by certain animals. There was no attempt made by Darwin to combat the argument from design or the idea of a Creator. It was a far more magnificent idea to think that some jelly-fish or ascidian was constructed to hold the germ of the future man than that a distinct act of creation brought into being every oak, every bird, every human being. There is no reason for requiring any influence beside that of the power which produces and reproduces, along the same lines through endless generations, all the different living beings which form the animal and vegetable kingdoms. General Schaw said that he had in his first presidential address argued against the commonly-received view that Darwin's theory of natural selection was a fact, not an hypothesis, and that the extreme theories of evolution founded on that theory were all to be taken as established truths. It appeared to him that the quotation he had read from Mr. Darwin's book was open to serious criticism. He could not see that circles were used by the bees in any way in the construction of their cells, nor could he see the slightest evidence that natural selection had anything to do with the intelligence, or instinct, or guidance of the bees in their hive-work. He could not admit that any proof of evolution by natural selection had ever been obtained, not even by the late Professor Huxley in his supposed pedigree of the horse; yet he believed that Darwin, with his wonderfully patient and diligent collection of facts, and his great sagacity, had discovered a part of one of the laws by which variations had occurred in the directions intended. But that the law of natural selection accounted for the endless varieties and perfections of living things in the past and the present was to him absolutely incredible and entirely without proof. Possibly in the future we might attain a further insight into the hidden workings of the Creator, but at present they were surrounded with mystery, and we must confess our ignorance. Mr. Harding said that it was not well that any scientific theory should have so overshadowing an influence as to be regarded as outside criticism. It was in the theoretical portion of the paper just read that the writer was not strong. That insects and other creatures had senses unknown to man—perceptions of physical conditions revealed to us only by scientific instruments—seemed very probable, but that they possessed mechanical or mathematical knowledge in the ordinary sense was very doubtful. It might be of advantage to consider an ant-hill or beehive as a single organism, the individual being merged in the society.

Any living organism under the microscope presented the appearance of a community. The analogy was very strong. In the vital fluids of plants or animals might be seen a host of cells engaged in constructing leaf, flower, and seed, or bone, nerve, or muscle, and others busily removing effete tissue—all working towards a common end, in orderly fashion, with exactly the same appearance of intelligence and individual volition as was seen in an insect community, and, like them, engaged on problems which involved profound mathematical relations. Even in the inorganic world, in the phenomena of crystallization, for example, the same mathematical relations came into play, and the beautiful fronds of ferns and forms of marine creatures were simulated by the frost on a window. If we attributed intelligent action to the visible agents in one case, we should be almost compelled to admit it in all. He had no theory to bring forward—the subject had been so exhaustively discussed by men of the highest powers that it was scarcely possible to adduce anything new. Mr. Maskell did not agree with either side, but if anything he rather went with Mr. Phillips. He was opposed to the Darwin theory. He did not think Mr. Phillips intended to show that the bee had an inherent knowledge, but that there was intelligence behind the bee. He objected to the theory of Darwin being termed an hypothesis; it was really a doctrine to those who believed in it, and according to them must be right, and those who do not think with them are sneered at, not only on the question of creation but on deeper grounds. He did not agree with Mr. Phillips, as he failed to give us any idea as to what he meant by the “higher intelligence” or the “vital force.” Mr. Phillips was setting up a little Darwinian theory of his own. He stated that the dragon-fly's eye is not equal to the human eye: it is doubtful if any insect can see more than 3in. or 4in. The President said that it was altogether unjust to impute the unfair and illiteral utterances of certain evolutionists to the author of the theory. Darwin was scrupulously careful to state the evidence for and against his own views with equal fairness, and in this afforded a bright example to investigators of all classes. He never shrunk from the conclusions to which his inquiries led him, but he was invariably careful to show respect for the opinions of those who differed from him. In this respect many of his so-called followers had come short of the example he had set. Mr. Phillips, in reply, thanked members for their courteous criticism, but he thought their remarks tended towards a recognition of the principle he contended for—viz., vital force or intelligence. In reply to Mr. Tregear, he (Mr. Phillips) thought that, while natural selection played a minor part, the real work was effected by a common vital energy, force, or intelligence. He himself had often marvelled at the individual movement of minute bodies evidently endowed with a vital energy of which we know nothing. Mr. Phillips could not tell Mr. Maskell what the vital force was until he had produced his examples step by step, when the meaning would be quite apparent to all.

Sixth Meeting: 25th September, 1895. Mr. T. Kirk, President, in the chair. Papers.—1. “Notes on Dactylanthus taylori,” by T. Kirk, F.L.S. (Transactions, p. 493.) Sir W. Buller said there was a drawing of this plant in Mr. Taylor's book. Mr. Tregear pointed out that the Maori name of this plant is hardly correct.

Seventh Meeting: 16th October, 1895. Mr. T. Kirk, President, in the chair. It was announced that Major-General Schaw had been nominated to vote in the election of Governors of the New Zealand Institute for the ensuing year, and that Mr. W. Mitten, F.L.S., was nominated as an honorary member of the Institute. Papers.—1. “On a New Species of Deinacrida, or Forest-cricket, from Nelson,” by Sir W. Buller. (Transactions, p. 323.) Mr. Travers said he thought it was the larva and not the complete insect that bored the holes in trees. He showed some fine specimens of another kind from an island near D'Urville Island. They were found among the stones on the beach. Mr. Hudson said this was a most interesting paper. This group of insects was peculiar to New Zealand. It is difficult to say how long they take to become perfect. Some other species also drill holes in wood. Mr. Kirk said it would be interesting if it could be ascertained how long it took the insect to reach full growth. In the Kaipara district these insects live on the palm. He had never heard before that the weta was poisonous. Mr. Hustwick said that in Nelson it was supposed to be poisonous. Sir W. Buller, in reply, stated that, in addition to its small size, the larva was light-coloured. It subsisted chiefly on wood, and probably enlarged its home as it increased in size. He always found the large species (Deinacrida heteracantha) on branches of trees, where, according to the Maoris, it subsisted on green leaves. He believed this latter species had been extinct on the mainland for twenty-five years or more, but it was still occasionally to be met with on some of the islands in the Hauraki Gulf. The specimen exhibited measured, with appendages, not less than 12in. in extent. The two fine specimens, male and female, shown by Mr. Travers belonged to the species Deinacrida rugosa, Buller (vol. iii. of the Transactions). Till now the type-specimen in Mr. P. Buller's collection was unique. It was interesting to learn that it lived among the rocks. The type came from Nelson, from Mr. Brough, the discoverer of the new species described this evening. As to the alleged venomous nature of the weta's bite, he could not speak from his own observation, but he had experienced a stinging sensation on being pricked by one of the spurs of the hind legs. He had once suffered severely from the bite of the spider Latrodectus katipo, and this had taught him caution in such matters. It would be interesting to test the potency of the

weta's bite, if some enthusiastic votary of science would submit to the infliction, and he commended the subject to the consideration of members.

Eighth Meeting: 13th November, 1895. Mr. T. Kirk, President, in the chair. New Members.—Mr. A. McDougall, Mr. H. D. Bell, and Mr. T. Hislop. The President informed the meeting that steps were being taken to found a national memorial to the late Right Honourable T. H. Huxley, and that those wishing to subscribe to the fund for the memorial could do so by communicating with Professor Parker, of Dunedin, who was acting as general secretary in New Zealand.

Ninth Meeting : 27th November, 1895. Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., President, in the chair.

Tenth Meeting: 18th December; 1895. Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., President, in the chair. Papers.—1. “On Iron from the Titaniferous Sand of New Zealand,” by E. Purser; communicated by Mr. T. H. Hustwick (Transactions, p. 689); with models of machinery used in manufacture of the iron. Major-General Schaw said that this ironsand was sometimes called “magnetic,” sometimes “titanic” or “titaniferous.” He held that the term “magnetic” was a misnomer, for it meant that each grain of the iron in the mixed sand was itself a permanent magnet, and this experiment proved it was not. It had been mentioned that at Onehunga a system of separating the iron particles from the other particles mixed with them in the sand had been used, in which electro-magnets were employed. These, when magnetized by an electric current, picked up the iron particles, and, when demagnetized by breaking the current, dropped the iron particles. Had the iron particles been themselves magnetic they would have remained attached to the soft iron core of the electro magnet by their own magnetic attraction; but they did not—hence they were not themselves magnetic. Also, if they had been steel, not iron, they would have been permanently magnetized by contact with the electro-magnet, and would not have dropped off when the current ceased. Therefore, the iron particles in the sand were simply iron, and neither magnetic nor steel. These iron particles were, however, in a peculiar condition: they would not rust, i.e., form the red oxide, as ordinary iron does. In fact, they were already saturated with oxygen, and could take no more into combination. How or why they had been so combined he could not say; but he had been informed that the cause was the presence of a small percentage of titanium combined with the iron in each particle. He should be glad to know if this was the case or not. If it was not—if each particle of iron was pure iron combined with oxygen, and the titanium and other impurities were separate grains, mixed mechanically in the sand, it seemed to him that the process had a very good prospect of ultimate success; but if the titanium was in greater or less proportions combined with the iron also, then he feared that the difficulties would be found to be much greater, as it was, he believed, possible that different samples of the sand would be found to contain different percentages of combined titanium in the iron particles in addition to varying proportions of mixed impurities in the sand. If it could be established as a fact that always the iron grains in the sand were pure iron combined with oxygen, the prospect seemed to him most hopeful. Sir James Hector said that the question of how to reduce ironsand had occupied much attention, and in many countries some of the finest steel had been manufactured from it for thousands of years, especially in India, but by a slow process that would be too expensive with the cost of

labour in this colony. Fifty or sixty patents have been obtained for utilising ironsand, Mr. Mushet alone having over twenty patent rights secured, some of them expressly for the Taranaki sand. Works have been erected in many places—as, for instance, at Moisie on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and at Taranaki and Onehunga, but none had been commercially successful. Several magnetic separators had been invented and used. He had seen one at work at Onehunga several years ago. But the difficulty is that the grains of ironsand often consist of different minerals, some of which are deleterious to the iron: but if the magnetic ore which is alone pure predominates, then the whole grain is lifted by the magnet and passed on to the smelting-furnace. The only novelty in Mr. Purser's process, so far as he knew, is the employment of glue as a cementing material, in order to bind the sand so that it can stand the blast of the reducing-furnace. Without a search it would not be safe to conclude as to whether his idea had been forestalled; but it was a good idea, and was, in fact, an improved application of the Indian cementation process, only the reducing-power of glue as compared with moist charcoal-powder would be very small, and special fuel for reduction of the oxide to the metallic state would have to be employed. The whole matter is one for careful experiment in order to test the cost of production compared with the market-value of the product. He had himself examined the results obtained at the Hinui works, near Taranaki, and they were not favourable. Mr. Purser's process is certainly a great improvement, and he wished it every success; but the estimate of cost which had been given required verification, and, what is more important, the purity and value of the metal produced on a large scale of working must be placed beyond doubt. Cast steel should be aimed at; but if there is the least trace of titanium in it it may prove worthless for some kinds of work. Mr. Maskell said that there had been many processes invented for dealing with this so-called ironsand, but none appeared to have succeeded, and it did not seem to him that the present one promised better than the others. Mr. Hustwick considered that the difficulties in connection with this sand were nearer solution than ever before. If the impurities can be removed on a small scale they can also be removed on a large scale. There was a distinct advantage in having steel that is made direct, as it is so much used now. Mr. Purser did not think that sands from other countries could compete with the New Zealand sand, which is richer in ore, and our climate is so much more favourable. He did not think there would be much difficulty in getting rid of the titanium: it is not magnetic, and would not be taken up. Mr. Purser concluded by describing the process of making the briquette, and explained how he arrived at his estimate of cost.

Annual Meeting: 26th February, 1896. Mr. Maskell in the chair.