Welhtigton Philosophical Society. 37 



erected in the lecture-i-ooiu. The lecture was listened to with close 

 attention, and on its conclusion the Chairman moved a hearty vote of 

 thaidxs to Mr. Buckley for his interesting and instructive lecture. 



Special M]<;eting : 32hd Aur/usf, 1910. 

 Mr. A. Hamilton, President, in the chair. 



Astronomical Section. — This meeting was held in accordance with 

 the resolutions carried at the meeting held on the 3rd August to form 

 an Astronomical Section of the society. 



The Secretary read the resolutions relating to the section. 



The President briefly explained the objects of the section, which he 

 declared duly formed. He then left the chair, and the section met to 

 elect its officers, &c. 



Fifth Meeting : 7th September, 1910. 



Mr. A. Hamilton, President, in the chair. 



The Chairman referred sympathetically to the loss the societ}^ had 

 sustained in the death of Mr. George Denton, a very old member of 

 the, society, and of Mr. Alexander Shand; and, on the motion of Mi-. 

 King, it was resolved that votes of sympathy and condolence should be 

 communicated to their relatives. 



Mr. H. L. James was prevented by indisposition from attending the 

 meeting, and apologized for being unable to deliver his address on 

 "Othello.'' 



Papers. — 1. Professor Kirk opened the adjourned discussion on his 

 paper on the need for a Society of Eugenics in New Zealand, and briefly 

 repeated the arguments in favour of the establishment of such a society. 



Mr. G. V. Hudson, in supporting Professor Kirk, made a strong plea 

 for the study of the science of heredity in our educational institutions. 



2. " Notes on the Discovery of Dactyhmthus Taylori," by Mr. James 

 Grant, B.A. ; communicated by Mr. T. W. Downes. In the absence of 

 Mr. Downes, this paper was read by the Chairman. 



3. " Preliminary Note on the Fungi of the New Zealand Epiphytic 

 Orchids," by Mr. T. L. Lancaster; communicated by Professor Kirk. 

 On the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. Lancaster read his paper. 



Exhibits. — 1. Mr. M. Crompton Smith exhibited a helio-chrono- 

 nieter, or universal sun-dial, and stated that trials carried out by 

 himself showed that the instrument will give the time correct within a 

 minute or less, and that not only can local mean time be obtained, but 

 that the instrument will also give standard time as well as local, and 

 standard time for any other place to which it is set. 



2. The Chairman exhibited an ancient stone bowl from the east 

 coast; a carved stone from Rabbit Island, Nelson, probabl}- used as a 

 kanaka god; and an onewa, or blackstone mere. 



3. Mr. G. V. Hudson exhibited some excellent enlarged photographs, 

 of insects, by Mr. Davies, Grey town. 



