Wellington Philosophical Society. 657 



question should not be considered closed by either party. Mr. Mantell 

 had lately fouud a letter from Professor Owen to his father, enclosing the 

 professor's first paper on the moa, and he says that there is less informa- 

 tion in it regarding the moa than he (Mr. Mantell) could obtain at that 

 time from many natives on the beach. 



2. " Notes on the Larger Species of Paryyhanta in New 

 Zealand, with some Bernarks on the Distribution and Dis- 

 persal of Land-shells," by W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. {Trans- 

 actions, p. 224.) 



Sir J. Hector had a number of the Picton shells alive for some time ; 

 he did not think they were carnivorous. He thought we had only two 

 species, and the difference in colour depended on the colour of the trees 

 on which they live. 



Mr. Hudson said this was a most interesting and instructive paper. 



Mr. Travers, in reply, said what he wished to call attention to was 

 the wide distribution of these shells, which had not been sufficiently 

 considered in making collections. 



3. "On a Method of Cure in Germ-diseases," by E. J. 

 Barnes. 



Dr. Teare said it was an ingenious paper ; but he was afraid there 

 were several points in it that would not be agreed to by the profession. 

 Mr. Barnes was unfortunate in selecting typhoid fever as the disease to 

 be cured, as that recurred. 



Seventh Meeting : 5th September, 1894. 



Mr. C. Hulke, Vice-President, in the chair. 



The Chairman announced that the Australasian Association 

 for the Advancement of Science would hold their next meeting 

 at Brisbane, on the 11th January, 1895, and the usual con- 

 cessions would be made by the shipping companies and the 

 railways to members visiting. 



Papers. — 1. " Note on the Aurora Australis, as observed 

 at Karori, Wellington, on the 20th August, 1894," bv G. V 

 Hudson, F.E.S. 



Abstbact. 



The author first noticed this aurora at 7 p.m. as a strong whitish 

 light along the southern horizon, somewhat resembling the earliest traces 

 of the dawn. This light steadily increased, gradually forming itself into 

 a shaded arch, which extended from the south-east to the south-west. 

 Below this arch the sky appeared extremely dark, as if heavily clouded, 

 but this was evidently merely the effect of contrast, because he noticed 

 not only Canopus, but several fainter stars, shining with undiminished 

 brilliancy beneath the arch during the whole of the display. As the 

 auroraprogressed the arch gradually rose in the heavens. At 8 p.m. the 

 first bright streamers appeared, and were most numerous to the westward. 

 Above and amongst the streamers were glowing patches of the most 

 beautiful rose-colour. The aurora was now a magnificent spectacle, its 

 light being sufficient to render all the leading features of the landscape 

 clearly discernible, and large print could be read with little difficulty. 

 Shortly before 9 p.m. the dull light of the moon could be seen in the 

 i2 



