Wellington Philosophical Society. 719 



unknown facts embodied in these notes, because Mr. Buchanan studied 

 the botany of New Zealand at a time when there were no rabbits, and 

 when there had been no great bush-fires — when the country was more in 

 a state of nature than it was now. His botanical researches in the south 

 of New Zenland were made single-handed ; and the great interest of the 

 botany of New Zealand lay in the original flora of the far south. Sir 

 James repeated thar. he hoped great care would he taken to preserve 

 every scrap of work left by Mr. Buchanan. They all mourned Mr. 

 Buchanan's death, though ac the same time it had to be said that it 

 was a happy release for him. 



Paper.— " On Seasonal Time," by G. V. Hudson, F.C.S. 

 {Transactions, p. 577.) 



Sir James Hector thought there were many practical difficulties in 

 the way of putting Mr. Hudson's proposal into practice. He fancied, for 

 instance, that it would be hard to get the boys no in the morning at 

 6 o'clock simply by calling the time 8 o'clock. There would also, he 

 fancied, be soma trouble in getting their domestic helpers 1 1 appreciate 

 the change. School and other examinations were everywhere held before 

 the holiday time of the year. The balances of New Zealand financial 

 institutions had at the present time necessarily to correspond with the 

 balances made by similar institutions in Great Britain. 



Mr. E. Tregear welcomed the proposal, because he was in sympathy 

 with any movement that would take them back to a more natural way of 

 living. He pointed out that the best part of the dav in Wellington in 

 the summer months was the interval in the morning between sunrise and 

 about 8 o'clock. 



Mr. Hudson briefly replied. 



The following additions to the Museum were exhibited by 

 Sir James Hector : — 



1. A collection of lizards, from Mr. Andrews, of Picton. 



This included a living specimen of Naultinus sulphureus, or 



sulphur lizard. 



Sir James Hector said the specimen was almost unique. The first 

 specimen secured was one which he obtained when he was travelling in 

 the Rotorua district with Sir George Grey in 1866, and it had been de- 

 scribed bv Sir Walter Buller in the third volume of the " Transaccions of 

 the New Zealand Institute." Sir James also mentioned a collection of 

 lizards made by Master Fitzgerald (son of Mr. W. C. Fitzgerald), which 

 was also on exhibition. The collection had been arranged in jars in an 

 interesting manner by Mr. Yuiil. It probably included some species that 

 were perfectly new. All the lizards had been obtained by Master Fitz- 

 gerald within a few miles of Wellington. 



2. The golden pheasant {Thaiimalia picta) , from China. 



Sir James Hector said, when alive this particular bird was an 

 attractive feature in the grounds of the Acclimati.'^ation Society at Master- 

 ton. Unfortunately, it came to an untimely end, and it was shrewdly 

 suspected that its murderer was a weasel or some pept of that kind. 

 Although the pheasant was somewhat mangled in its struggle for life, 

 Mr. A. Yuill had set it up in splendid style. 



3. Fish {Scorpana crjienta, Sol.) caught at Wellington 

 Heads by Master F. Alp ; presented by Mr. W. Lambert. 



4. Anosia holina butterfly ; presented by Mr. Andrews, of 

 Picton. 



