8 Proceedimjs. 



Hector Fund. — You will be pleased to hc;u' that the fund for the memoriar 

 to the late Sir James Hectoi- has now reached a sum which will enable sonic 

 practical benefit to accrue from it to science. The deliberations of the committee- 

 who have charge of the fund have not yet been announced, but before the next 

 annual meeting T trust that a satisfactory scheme for the utilization of the fund 

 will be before you. There are few iiienibers of this Society, however, who knew 

 the late Sir James who will need any public memorial to strengthen in their hearts 

 the memory of the many kindnesses they received from, him, and to perpetuate the 

 memory of a true friend to all scientists. 



Obituart/. — I may perhaps add my tribute of regret that the Society 

 has lost within the last few months two scientists who loved their country 

 and who enjoyed working in the fields of science. I refer to the death of the 

 late Mr. A. P. Duller, who for many years studied with loving cai'e the New 

 Zealand Lepidoptera, and to the late Mr. G. R. Marriner, Curator of the 

 Wanganui Museum, who was a well-trained obser\er in natural history, and whose 

 death at an early age is much regretted by me. A very distingviished contributor 

 to our Transactions, and a worker on New Zealand Upmiptcrn, has recently passed 

 away in the person of Mr. G. W. Kirkaldy, entomologist to the Hawaiian Sugar- 

 planters' Association. Mr. Kirkaldy was the recognized expert in [leiniptera, and 

 was preparing to devote special attention to those species of Ilemiptcra which are 

 injurious to vegetation in 5s^ew Zealand. His services in Hcmiptera were invaluable 

 to sugar-planters, and his general scientific work was recognized throughout the 

 scientific world as of the highest importance and interest. 



New Zealand Palaeontoloiiy. — In the last volume of the Transactions I brought 

 together a few notes relating to the present position of New Zealand palaeontology, 

 and added a short bibliography of the literature on palaeontology of New Zealand. 

 By the last mail a very valuable compilation was received from Professor Otto 

 Wilckens, which brought together in an elaborate form the whole of the references 

 relating to the geology of New Zealand in its widest terms. This publication will 

 be invaluable to future workers, and wo are indeltted to Professor Wilckens for 

 his labours in this respect. 



While speaking to you about the suggested expedition to the Chatham Islands 

 for the pirrposo of working up the natural history I should have mentioned that 

 it might be possible to induce the Marine Department to so order the goings of the 

 training cruiser, the " Amokura," . that she should make soundings between New 

 Zealand and the Chatham Islands. This would be useful, and would not interfere- 

 with the routine of the ordinary cruising voyages. I should be glad if it is found 

 possible to make arrangements for such soundings. 



I have purposely made my address to-night very short, as we have several 

 gentlemen who have undertaken to speak on the subject which is of special interest 

 at the present time — the reappearance of Halley's Comet. I will therefore commend 

 to your thoughts and studies during the coming session the thousand aspects of 

 the world around you, and if you can aid in the search for a fuller knowledge of 

 things material and immaterial you will do at least a part of your duty. We are 

 gradually recognizing that modern science and modern inventions tend to increase 

 the community of material interests, and that many of our older ideas must be 

 thrown overboard. Our i-solation is gradually disappearing under the development 

 of electricity, aviation, and other modern marvels, and we are pressing on to a 

 fuller future, and gradually recognizing that in becoming enlightened the world 

 rises to unity ; that, instead of racial hatred and jealousy, we are progressing 

 towards a time which will unite in one great Fatherland all the fatherlands we now 

 pride ourselves in belonging to. We must, as Lamartine says, work for the time 

 when we can call ourselves " fellow-citizens of every thinking soul." 



Pnjyers. — Halley ami Ilallev's Comet: (1) Historical, by Mr. i'honias 

 King; (2) Physical, by Rev. Dr. Kennedy, F.R. A. S. 



Mr. Thomas King gave an historical address, in which he said that the interest 

 in the comet did not lie in its brightness, its size, or its physical nature, but in 

 the human associations that its very name suggested. The name of Halley was 

 ;i,s.sociated not only with the comet, but with the greatest scientific discovery the 

 world had known, for without Halley the " Principia " of Newton would not have 

 been published. 



The Rev. Dr. Kennedy dealt with the physical properties of comets. Their 

 movements could now be determined with accuracy, but there were still problems 



