Wellington PJiUosophical Society. 519 



fellow-citizens, that he might have allowed Mr. Mantell the privilege 

 of keeping this Aptcrijx. As to drainage, he doubted whether there was 

 any prospect of Mr. Higginson's or any other scheiTie being adopted. 

 There was a j^roposal for borrowing now before the city, but no scheme 

 of drainage. He remarked that the smells in the city were certainly 

 very bad. 



The motion for a vote of thanks was carried unanimously. 



The President thanked members for the vote just passed. Replying 

 to Mr. Maskell, he said he had purposely abstained from mentioning any 

 details of municipal politics, fearing that he might introduce discussion 

 in the wrong place. It would be for Mr. Maskell, as a ratepayer, to 

 examine the proposals put before the public, and see whether they were 

 in accord with his views as a scientific man. If not, he must organize, 

 and see that a proper scheme was brought forward. 



A number of photographs exhibited by Mr. McKay, showing 

 the effect of the earthquake of the 1st September last in the 

 Amuri district, were explained by Sir James Hector. 



Papers. — 1. "On the Occurrence of Mitrasacme montana, 

 var. helmsii," by T. Kirk, F.L.S. {Transactions, p. 445.) 



2. " Description of a New Species of Chenopodimn — C. 

 huchanani," by T. Kirk, F.L.S. {Transactions, p. 446.) 



Second Meeting: 10th July, 1889. 



A. de B. Brandon, President, in the chair. 



Neiv 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 IMr. 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 nidifi- 

 cation of these extinct birds. In 18G3 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 



