HAWKE'S BAY PHILOSOPHICAL 

 INSTITUTE. 



First Meeting : 13th May, 1S89. 



Palmers. — 1. Inaugural address by the President, Dr. W. I. 



Spencer. 



The subject of the address was " Movement and Sensation in Plants." 

 In the course of it the President stated that it was intended to form 

 sections for the study of local geology and botany, and also a microscopi- 

 cal section. 



2. "A Description of some Newly - discovered PhiBuo- 

 yauiic Plants, being a Further Contribution towards the 

 making-known the Botany of New Zealand," by W. Colenso, 

 F.Pv.S., F.L.S., &c. {Transactions, p. 459.) 



Mr. Hamilton exhibited living specimens of the small and 

 curious orchid described in Mr. Colenso's paper as Bolhoi)hyl- 

 lu)u tuberculatum, Col. Mr. Hamilton also showed a block of 

 very good diatomaceous earth from the Makaretu district, a. 

 specimen of Squilla indefensa, and a pair of wetas from the 

 caves at Ormondville. 



Second Meeting : 1st June, 1889. 



Papers. — 1. " A Legend of the Large Australian Screech- 

 owl, called by the Australian Natives Ti-na-tinity," by T. 

 Pine. 



2. " Plants and Astrology," by A. Hamilton. 



3. " Notes on some New Zealand Ferns," by A. Hamilton. 

 [Transactions, p. 493.) 



A number of specimens recently added to the Museum 

 were laid on the table for the inspection of the visitors. 

 Amongst them was a fine carapace of a turtle, presented by 

 INIr. Prebble. 



Third Meeting : 8th July, 1889. 



Papers. — 1. " Shadow-pictures," by Taylor White. {Trans- 

 actions, p. 108.) 



Mr. Harding remarked, in the discussion which followed, that moon- 

 light, passing through any irregularly-shaped small aperture, always 

 produced a circular patch of light. 



