WELLINGTON: PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 
First Meetine. 6th August, 1881. 
Dr. Hector, President, in the chair. 
New Members.—R. G. Toulson, T. Lidbetter, W. G. Thistle, B.A., and 
Rev. La Menant des Chesnais. 
The President delivered an opening address: 
ABSTRACT. 
He reviewed the remarkable progress which had been made in the colony in scientific — 
pursuits since the time when the New Zealand Institute was first established, and pointed 
out that while most branches of education—primary, secondary, and University—were 
now well provided for, there was still a great want of facilities for technical education. 
The constitution of the New Zealand Institute provided for this; but that part of the Act 
had remained a dead letter, owing, in part, to the mistaken notion that the Universities 
could provide such training. This, however, was not the case, as the University student 
must devote the whole of his time to studying for his degree. What is wanted is the teach- 
ing of applied science and other branches of education, by means of evening lectures, to 
those who are engaged in business during the day. Such provision is now being made in in 
the other colonies, and New Zealand should not be behindhand, as it would do more for 
developing colonial industries on a sound basis than the mere granting of bonuses or 
the imposition of protective duties. In describing the present state of our knowledge 
in various branches of science, he gave an account of the conclusions arrived at in 
Wallace’s recent work on “Island Life” with regard to the origin of the New Zealand - 
fauna and flora, which he considers to have been in part derived from the eastern part of 
Australia when it formed an island separated from the western portion by an extension of 
the tropical sea. When these two islands were joined, the western forms of life displaced 
the eastern, and caused the great dissimilarity which now exists between Australia as a 
whole and _— saves ae (Dr. Heat} monet —* —: ~ _ —— 
part of South America, which t before the Society by Professor Hutton, 
but which Mr. Wallace considers untenable. ‘Referring to the work of the Meteorological 
if etn wi i in a ee 
meron the ‘the chiet of which were the results of | explorations during 
t few months. Sonny ha er rma of him a 
