Philosophical Institute of Canterbury.

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 46, 1913, Page 377

Philosophical Institute of Canterbury. Special Meeting: 5th April, 1913. Present: Dr. Charles Chilton, President, in the chair, and about 350 others. Address.—“Other Worlds than Ours,” by Miss Mary Proctor. The address was illustrated by a large number of fine lantern-slides. First Meeting: 7th May, 1913. Present: Dr. Charles Chilton, President, in the chair, and 250 members and friends. The opening meeting of the session was held in the hall of Canterbury College, and partook of the nature of a conversazione, during which short addresses were delivered. Addresses.—1. “New Zealand Birds,” by Mr. Edgar F. Stead. 2. “Physical Experiments,” by Dr. C. Coleridge Farr. 3. “Colour Photography,” by Mr. S. Page. Exhibits.—A number of exhibits were displayed in the hall. Second Meeting: 4th June, 1913. Present: Dr. Charles Chilton, President, in the chair, and sixty members and friends. New Members.—Misses F. Berkeley, C. B. Mills, Messrs. G. E. Archey, A. C. Purchas, W. George Howes, W. H. Clark, and Dr. T. A. MacGibbon. Papers.—1. “Some Photometric Measurements of the Dispersing-power of certain Commercial Glasses,” by Mr. D. B. McLeod. 2 “On certain Tripolar Relations,” by Mr. E. G. Hogg. Address.— “The Origin of Taranaki Petroleum,” by Mr. R. Speight. Exhibits.—A number of exhibits were shown by Messrs.-R. Nairn, C. Dash, E. Herring, and C. E. Foweraker.

Third Meeting: 2nd July, 1913. Present: Dr. Charles Chilton, President, in the chair, and about fifty members and friends. New Members.—Miss B. E. Baughan, Messrs. E. A. Belcher, H. Holland, J. J. Dougall, O. J. W. Napier, J. W. Bird. Address.—Dr. L. Cockayne delivered his ex-presidential address on “A Suggestion for Future Research in Canterbury.” Fourth Meeting: 6th August, 1913. Present: Dr. Charles Chilton, President, in the chair, and about thirty members and friends. New Members.—Dr. Fleming, Mr. Gilbert Anderson. Papers.—1. “Observations on New Zealand Mistletoe,” by Mr. C. E. Foweraker. 2. “A Species of Daphnia new to New Zealand,” by Mr. G. E. Archey. 3. “Ecological Notes on the Forest of the Port Hills,” by Miss L. A. Suckling; communicated by Dr. Chilton. Exhibits.—1. Some New Zealand shipworms (Teredo), by Mr. H. Suter. 2. Some New Zealand fishes, by Mr. Edgar R. Waite. Fifth Meeting: 3rd September, 1913. Present: Dr. Charles Chilton, President, in the chair, and about sixty members and friends. Address.—“The Fossil Plants of the British Carboniferous,” by Rev. J. Holloway. Paper.—“Some Results of Glaciation of Lake Coleridge District,” by Mr. R. Speight. Sixth Meeting: 1st October, 1913. Present: Dr. Charles Chilton, President, in the chair, and about fifty members and friends. Papers.—1. “The Subalpine Flora of Banks Penmsula,” by Mr. R. M. Laing. 2. “Supplementary List of Fossils from the Lower Waipara Gorge,” by Mr. R. Speight. 3. “List of Fossils from Bluecliffs, South Canterbury,” by Mr. M. C. Gudex. 4. “The Relative Economy, Composition, and Nutritive Values of the Retail Cuts of Mutton and Lamb,” by Mr. A. M. Wright. Exhibit.—Some experiments in electric resonance, by Dr. C. Coleridge Farr.

Seventh Meeting: 15th November, 1913. Present: Dr. Charles Chilton, President, in the chair, and about fifty members and friends. Address.—“Industrial Applications of Electricity,” by Mr. R. L. Gray. Papers.—1. “Unrecorded Plant-habitats, No. IX,” by Dr. L. Cockayne.

Annual Meeting: 3rd December, 1913. Present: Dr. Charles Chilton, President, in the chair, and sixteen members and friends. New Member.—Mr. Guy Brittin. Annual Report.—The annual report and balance-sheet for the year were adopted. Abstract. Meetings of the Institute.—Nine meetings of the Institute have been held during the year, at which the following addresses were delivered: “A Suggestion for Future Research in Canterbury,” ex-presidential address by Dr. L. Cockayne; “Other World than Ours,” by Miss Mary Proctor; “The Origin of Taranaki Petroleum,” by Mr. R. Speight; “The Fossils of the British Carboniferous,” by Rev. J. Holloway; “Industrial Applications of Electricity,” by Mr. R. L. Gray. At the regular meetings sixteen papers embodying the results of original research have been read. These may be classified as follows: Botany, 6; chemistry, 1; geology, 4; mathematics, 1; physics, 1; zoology, 3. The Council has had before it the suggestion for future research in Canterbury, outlined by Dr. L. Cockayne in his ex-presidential address, and, while recognizing that the Institute should undertake definite work of the character outlined, it was decided, after full consideration, that in the meantime the Council could not commit the Institute to any definite scheme.

Membership.—During the year fifteen new members have been elected, and twelve have either resigned or have been struck off, so that the number now stands at 178. The Council regrets to record the loss by death of Messrs. J. D. Enys and J. L. Scott, both of whom have been associated with this Institute for many years. Antarctic Expedition.—Having been so intimately associated with Antarctic research, the Council learned with grief the sad news of the loss of Captain Scott, Dr. Wilson, and their companions in the sledging party from the South Pole. At a meeting held on the 11th February the Council placed on record its admiration for the great achievements in Antarctic exploration of Captain Scott and his associates, and conveyed to the families and relatives of those who had perished its deepest sympathy with them in their sorrow. At the suggestion of the Council, the Mayor of Christchurch convened a general meeting for the purpose of considering the establishment of a suitable memorial. It is gratifying to note that as a result a large sum of money has now been subscribed, and it is hoped that a memorial suitably commemorating the heroic deeds will shortly be erected. British Association Meeting.—The Council desires to call attention to the meeting of the British Association in Australia in 1914, and hopes that a number who have been invited will extend their visit to New Zealand. According to the suggested programme, meetings are to be held in Wellington and Christchurch early in September. As the visit of these men will naturally stimulate local scientific work, a hearty welcome will be extended by the incoming Council to our visitors. Obituary.—The Council feels that through the death of Mr. A. Hamilton, Director of the Dominion Museum and a past President of the New Zealand Institute, the cause of scientific endeavour in this land has lost a valued contributor, especially in the departments of ethnology and New Zealand bibliography. At a meeting on the 5th November the Institute expressed its sorrow and its sense of the loss sustained through his death. The Council also notes with deep regret the death of the veteran naturalist Alfred Rússel Wallace, O.M., F.R.S., an honorary member of the New Zealand Institute, the co-discoverer with Darwin of the theory of Natural Selection. His researches in the geographical distribution of plants and animals have a special bearing on the problems of the origin of New Zealand flora and fauna, and have greatly stimulated research on the subject by New Zealand workers. Science and Art Bill.—A Bill deahng with the Dominion Museum, Art Gallery, and the New Zealand Institute was introduced into Parliament, and the Council, in considering this Bill, took exception to the clauses referring to the representation of the New Zealand Institute on the Board established under the Bill. The Council also objected strongly to the sections relating to the publication and sale of the Transactions. It is noted with satisfaction that the clauses objected to have been deleted from the Bill, while recent information has been received that the sum of £250 has been placed on the estimates for the current year as an additional grant, in order to enable the Institute to publish the Transactions. Arthur's Pass Tunnel Investigation.—During the past year the usual temperature observations were continued, and specimens of the rocks have been received for examination, in order to keep the series complete, but owing to the slow progress of the work no special results can yet be recorded. Protection of the Fur Seal.—At the instance of the Otago Institute, the Council has written to the Minister of Marine, protesting against the removal of the protection hitherto accorded the fur seal. In addition, the attention of the Minister was called to the fact that the seals have been killed in the Sounds National Park. It is hoped that these representations will result in the renewal of the protection of the fur seals, otherwise this species will soon be quite exterminated. Library.—The efficiency of the library has been fully mamtained, and the calls upon the available space have necessitated increased shelving being provided. Antarctic Library.—The Council has kept the needs of this section well in view, and has purchased to the full extent of its available resources, the publications of the Deutsche Sud-Polar Expedition alone having absorbed a large sum. It is hoped that the publications of the “Belgica” Expedition may be obtained in the near future; but these also are expensive productions. The Institute is most grateful to the French Government for presenting the publications of the two recent south polar expeditions under Dr. Charcot, and to Dr. Chilton, President of the Institute, for supplying various Antarctic works. The Council was pleased to place the library at the disposal of the members of the British Antarctic Expedition under the late Captain Scott, and gratified to know that the privilege extended was largely availed of and appreciated by several members of the ill-fated expedition.

Balance-sheet.—The balance-sheet shows that the total receipts for the year, including members' subscriptions and sale of publications, amount to £179 8s. In order to make the final payment to the Government Printer for printing the “Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand,” it has been necessary to transfer to the General Account the accrued interest on the life members' subscription account—viz., £71 18s. 9d. It is satisfactory to note that the liability on account of the “Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand,” amounting in the beginning to £700, has now been liquidated: The total expenditure for the year amounted to £356 8s. 7d., and there is a credit balance at the Bank of New Zealand of £69 2s. 9d. The principal liabilities are an amount of £36 for periodicals from Dulau and Co., London, and the balance of the Tunnel Investigation Account, amounting to £140 6s. 11d. Papers.—1. “An Ecological Study of some New Zealand Sand-dune Plants,” by Miss Pegg; communicated by Dr. Chilton. 2. “Some Species of New Zealand Flowering-plants,” by Dr. L. Cockayne. 3. “Notes on New Zealand Fishes, No. 4,” by Mr. Edgar R. Waite. 4. “Note on a Collection of Rocks from White Island,” by Mr. R. Speight. 5. “Description of New Zealand Lepidoptera,” by Mr. E. Meyrick; communicated by Dr. Chilton. Election of Officers for 1914.—The following were elected officers: President—Dr. W. P. Evans; Vice-Presidents—Dr. Charles Chilton, Mr. P. H. Powell; Hon. Secretary—Mr. A. M. Wright; Hon. Treasurer—Mr. R. Speight; Hon. Librarian—Mr. Edgar R. Waite; Council—Dr. C. Coleridge Farr, Dr. L. Cockayne, Mr. L. Birks, Dr. F. W. Hilgendorf, Dr. S. Page, Mr. R. M. Laing; Hon. Auditor—Mr. G. E. Way, F.P.A.N.Z.