Otago Institute. 431 



Mr. Colenso's contributions. The conclusions arrived at were so much at 

 variance with what he had been led to believe from his exceptional experience, 

 that he felt he must not let them pass uncontradicted. The result is a very 

 valuable contribution to Maori anthropology. He shows, to me most con- 

 clusively, that so far from. the Maoris beiug deficient in sensibility to colour, 

 they are in advance of most of us in that respect. He gives us instances 

 from his own experience of this, and he tabulates a list of 80 words and 

 phrases meaning red and its various modifications. He is very far indeed 

 from believing in the blue-blindness of Mr. Stack. Indeed, one cannot read 

 his paper and have any serious doubt as to the Maori possessing, and having 

 possessed before the advent of the Europeans, a fine perception of colour. 

 In this they agree with other savage races— races whose very existence often 

 depends on their ability to note minute variations in colour. Mr. Grant 

 Allen, who, in his interesting work on the evolution of the colour sense, 

 gives a careful adverse criticism of the Gladstone-Magnus theory, publishes 

 the result of an extended inquiry into the colour perception of existing un- 

 civilized races. He sent out circulars to competent persons, missionaries, 

 Government officials, and others, in all parts of the world, requesting 

 answers to twelve questions regarding the colour sense of the savage people 

 amongst whom they were living. The answers received " bore out in every 

 case the supposition that the colour sense is, as a whole, absolutely identical 

 throughout all branches of the human race." To complete our knowledge of 

 the Maoris in this respect, and to make it more definite and exact, it would be 

 well for someone to test a large number of them with some good colour test, 

 such as Holmgren's wools. This could easily be done by anyone. Nothing 

 but care and patience are required, but the results would be well worth 

 recording. ... I cannot let you go without alluding to the gaps that 

 death has made in our ranks during the past year. Two of my predecessors 

 in this chair, Mr. Arthur and Mr. Montgomery, have, like the runners of 

 old, handed on the torch of life to others. These gentlemen were well- 

 known and valued members of the Institute, and to both we owe regret and 

 gratitude. Members of our body for a number of years, from first to last 

 they had the interests of the Institute at heart, and in the various capacities 

 of President, Vice-president, and member of Council, they were intimately 

 associated with the many details of its management. Mr. Arthur was one of 

 our oldest and most active members. He joined the Society in 18H9, the 

 year of its birth. From 18V8 continuously till his death he was a member 

 of the Councd, or Committee of Management. He was Vice-president on 

 two occasions, in 1878 and 1883, and he was our President in 1882. It will 

 be long before we forget his enthusiasm as a worker in that branch of 

 science to which he devoted his leisure. To it several of the volumes of the 

 "Transactions" bear worthy and lasting witness. I do not think I go too 

 far, or under-estimate the work of others, when I say that the success of fish 

 culture in Otago is mainly due to Mr. Arthur's zeal and fostering care. Mr. 

 Arthur's papers in the " Transactions " on fishes show where his tastes 

 lay. Up to the last he lost no opportunity of observing and recording what 

 he could of our fishes, native and introduced. Of literary tastes, Mr. Mont- 

 gomery did not contribute much in the way of papers to our proceedings. 

 But much helpful work may be done in an organisation such as ours in 

 other ways, and in such Mr. Montgomery was always ready and willing to 

 assist. He joined the Society in 1877, and as President in 1883, Vice- 

 president in 1881 and 1881, and as member of Council from 1879, he did 

 good work for us, heartily doing what came to his hand to do. 



