October jrd, igi6.] PROCEEDINGS. iii 



Dr. Willis' paper on the Distribution of Plants in New 

 Zealand dealt with the question of endemic forms, which the 

 author was inclined to consider as largely forms of compara- 

 tively recent origin. His view that the range of distribution of 

 endemics varies directly as the age of these plants, he con- 

 sidered to be confirmed by the evidence obtainable from the 

 distribution of plants in New Zealand. ; 



Sir Ernest Rutherford gave a brief account of the pro- 

 ceedings of Section A, and of the discussion on Gravitation. 

 Attention was drawn to the important theoretical deductions of 

 Einstein and of the possible experimental methods of testing 

 his theories. 



Mr. William Thomson dealt with the proceedings of 

 Section B (Chemistry), and pointed out that the subject of 

 economy of coal was discussed at considerable length. He was 

 afraid we could not hope for much from these discussions. The 

 problem for both steam raising and household purposes is so 

 complicated that it is unlikely that anything of a final nature 

 can be reached in the near future. 



The question of Air Pollution by smoke is occupying 

 attention at present. An organised attemy^t has been made to 

 determine the relative degrees of impurity of the atmosphere 

 in different towns throughout the kingdom, bv collecting rain 

 water in large glazed open vessels and analysing the water col- 

 lected therein, each month. This attempt was commenced by a 

 Smoke Prevention League and it has received general acceptance 

 by a number of eminent scientific men, who evidently acquiesced 

 in the decision of the members of the League and tried tO' help 

 them. The results obtained however are ridiculous and the 

 time and money expended on it wasted. 



A discussion took place on the x'Xniline Dye Industry. One 

 reader of a paper tried to show that the present English 

 Industry in dyes is not far behind that of Germany. This 

 might be .so in certain common colours, but Mr. Thomson 

 thought it must be admitted that the Germans are far ahead 

 of us in the manufacture of fast delicate colours. 



Dr. George Hickling, referring to the proceedings of 

 Section C (Geology), stated that by far the most important 

 subject dealt with in that section was the proper investigation 

 and utilisation of our coal resources, which formed the principal 

 theme of the presidential address, and was the matter of a joint 

 discussion with Section B (Chemistry). Various speakers dealt 

 with the importance of systematic enquiry, of the investigation 

 of the potentialities of different coals as sources of by-products, 

 of the study of the origin and distribution of the ash-content, 

 of the questions of chemical constitution, of the structure as 

 revealed in microscopic section, and of the study of the vari- 

 ation of seams vertically and horizontally. All speakers agreed 



