Wellington Philosophical Society. 527 



remarkable feature in regard to this comet, that it had approached more closely to the 

 sun than any comet on record, except perhaps that of 1843, and that astronomers were of 

 opinion that it was following very closely the orbit of that comet, if not identical with it. 

 7. Among the objects exhibited to the meeting were two salt-water fishes, Dajus 

 forsteri (green mullet), and Retropinna osmeroides (New Zealand smelt), taken with the fly 

 in the Hutt Eiver, about three miles from the mouth, by Mr. Howard. 



Eighth Meeting. 9th December, 1882. 

 W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S., President, in the chair. 



New Member. — J. E. Blair. 



1. "Additions to the Flora of New Zealand," by J. Buchanan, F.L.S. 

 (Transactions, p. 339.) 



. The three plants described were collected by Mr. H. H. Travers in the Collingwood 

 district. 



2. " On Ancient Science," by the Bev. T. Le Menant des Chesnais. 



ABSTKACT. 



The object of this paper was to show the origin and progress of science from the 

 earliest times. Science was largely cultivated, and civilization much advanced before the 

 flood. Antediluvian men were acquainted with agriculture, astronomy, mineralogy, and 

 poetry. Chaldea was the cradle of scientific investigation. Astronomy, mechanics, archi- 

 tecture, and navigation flourished there. The discoveries lately made and so well 

 described by Botta and Layard show how, from the most remote period, Assyrians culti- 

 vated science. The Jews cultivated natural science, poetry, music, agriculture ; but their 

 knowledge of exact science was limited. Greece was always a scientific nation. The 

 ancient Greek philosophers treated admhably many questions on the nature of man and 

 animals, and explained accurately several important phenomena. Sculpture, painting, 

 music, architecture, astronomy, etc., were at all times highly esteemed by the Greeks. 

 Among the men who most contributed to scientific progress at Greece, we must not 

 forget Aristotle and the great men of the school of Alexandria. The Eomans adopted 

 the ways and manners of the nations they had conquered. They encouraged foreign arts 

 and scientific men, but produced none. Even the works of Pliny cannot be styled truly 

 scientific ; they are a compilation without order or taste, an imperfect encyclopaedia. 



The President complimented the author on the manner in which he had dealt with 

 the subject, which he felt sure was highly interesting to those present. 



After the paper was read M. des Chesnais exhibited a beautiful series of photographs 

 illustrative of the subjects on which he had treated. 



3. " Description of a new Species of Molis" by T. W. Kirk. (Transac- 

 tions, p. 217.) 



4. " Description of a new Dipterous Insect," by Gr. Vernon Hudson ; 

 communicated by T. W. Kirk. (Transactions, p. 218.) 



Ninth Meeting. 3rd February, 1883. 

 W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. , President, in the chair. 

 Neiv Member, — W. A. Gardner. 



