656 Proccc clings. 



of a country ; he could not wait for their correct description hy the 

 palnsontologist — this could only he done after years of lahour. He did 

 not think that the disparaging remarks of Mr. Hudson regarding the 

 scientific work done in New Zealand should be passed over without con- 

 tradiction. 



Mr. Travers said that Mr. Hudson certainly undervalued the scientific 

 work done in New Zealand. On the subject of botany alone he might 

 instance the splendid work of Sir J. Hooker, Mr. Coleuso, Mr. Buchanan, 

 Mr. Cheeseman, and Mr. T. Kirk; and in other branches there was an 

 equally good record. Notwithstanding the difficulty of travelling in this 

 colony, and the great expense, no other countrj- had done so much in the 

 way of collecting. Mr. Hudson's paper might do some good, but he had 

 failed to make himself acquainted with the true value of the scientific 

 work done in this country, and he could not know what our museums 

 actually contained. 



Mr. Tregear regretted not seeing more young people taking interest 

 in making collections, and getting ready to take the places of those pre- 

 sent at the meeting. There were hundreds of graduates passing examina- 

 tions in higher education, but few of them retained enough interest 

 in their scientific studies to make them do practical work when the 

 academic course was finished. Most of the work done for science in 

 New Zealand had been unpaid work, and done for pure science' salie, not 

 for its economic value. But the economic value had certainly been very 

 great — far greater than many supposed. The economic value was not, 

 however, the true goal for which scientists should work, though no one 

 knew how, perhaps in a moment, great economic results might follow a 

 discovery made by one seeking science only for its own sake. IMr. Tregear 

 instanced the case of Professor Mas Miiller and his study of Sanscrit. The 

 English Government in India was greatl}' troubled to know how to put 

 down the custom of sail, or widow-burning, the English having promised 

 not to interfere with the religious customs of tlie Hindustanis. The 

 Professor pointed out to the Brahmin priests that the burning of widows 

 was only inculcated in a corrupt text of the sacred books. The priests 

 had to admit the truth which the Professor had pointed out, and since 

 that time no women had been burnt on funeral piles in India. Thou- 

 sands of lives were thus annually saved by this application of the learning 

 of a true scientist. 



Mr. Eichardson said Mr. Hudson should remember that other 

 collectors were quite as enthusiastic in their studies as he was in bis 

 particular branch. The collection of fossils was of the greatest import- 

 ance. 



Mr. T. W. Kirk thought that perhaps Mr. Hudson had been rather 

 misunderstood. ^Yhat he advocated was the appointment of a staff of 

 cabinet collectors. For so j'oung a country, we had, he thought, done 

 well in science. He thought more should be done by the State. 



Mr. IMaskell agreed with some parts of the paper, and disagreed with 

 other parts. There ought to be better collections of natural history than 

 we had, but there were difhculties in the way. He did not agree with 

 Mr. Travers and Mr. Hudson that collections made here should always be 

 sent Home to England to be described. He thought that it would be 

 better to do the describing here, and keep the collections in the colony. 

 It was easy to obtain all books of reference out here, owing to the im- 

 proved postal arrangements. He instanced a gentleman who had sent 

 Home a valuable collection of fossil remains to be described instead of 

 studying himself, and they had been lost on the voyage, off Cape Horn. 

 If he had only kept them, or handed them over to some museum, they 

 would have been safe. He would urge collectors to keep their collections 

 here and describe them themselves, and they would have them for refer- 

 ence, and get the credit of working them out themselves. 



