Wellington PJtilosopliical Society. ■ 731 



Any living oigauism under the microscope presented tlie 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 inor- 

 ganic 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 b\' 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 ]\Ir. Phillips. He was opposed to the Darwin theory. He did 

 not think Jlr. Phillips intended to show that the bee had an inherent know- 

 ledge, but that there was intelligence behind the bee. He objected to the 

 theor}' 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 ques- 

 tion of creation but on deeper grounds. He did not agree with ]\Ir. 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 4:in. 



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. 



i\ir. Phillips, in reply, thanked members for their courteous criticism, 

 but he thought their remarks tended towards a recognition of the prin- 

 ciple 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 move- 

 ment of minute bodies evidently endowed with a vital energy of which we 

 know nothing. Mr. Phillips could not tell Mr. IMaskell what the vital 

 force was until he had produced his examples step by step, when the 

 meaning would be quite apparent to all. 



General Schaw asked permission to make a few observations on the 

 subject of antarctic research, which he had the honour of bringing before 

 them in a paper read at one of their late meetings. And first with regard 

 to the right whale, on which there had been some discussion. He had 

 seen lately a paper read by Jlr. Clements Markham before the Royal 

 United Institute in London on "Antarctic Research." From that paper 

 and the discussion upon it it seemed probable that a paying whale- 

 fishery might be found in antarctic waters. It is certain that right 

 whales carrying the valuable whalebone — which is the support of the 

 remarkable nets or fringes by which these whales collect their minute 

 food — are caught in New Zealand waters. He was informed that such 



