AucMand Institute. 449 



Naturally he prefers to believe that the laws of nature have been suspended, 

 and from that moment he becomes unintentionally the ally of the impostor, 

 and developes a strange ingenuity in evading all difficulties, and seizing Qwevy 

 bit of evidence that seems to make in his favour." * 



I had intended to have made some reference to spectroscopic science — to the 

 wonderful perfection which has been attained in the measurement of minute 

 intervals of time, intervals bearing the same proportion to a second that a 

 second does to an hour — and especially to the great subject of astronomical 

 interest, the approaching transit of Venus across the Sun's disc, which should 

 be of particular interest to us, since its last occurrence in 1769 was the 

 immediate occasion of the first exploration of these Islands, and the means of 

 introducing them to the knowledge of the European world, and since this 

 place is one of the fortj'-six stations determined on for observation of the 

 ensuing one, by concert between the four Governments of England, France, 

 Germany, and Russia. But I have trespassed at so inordinate a length on 

 your attention that I will now conclude, with a hope that in the present 

 session we shall not only have a continuance of the truly scientific papers 

 which have hitherto given the transactions of these Societies a permanent 

 value, but that our members, who like myself are without the technical 

 knowledge and observant habits necessary to the collector and collator in the 

 natural history sciences, will, nevertheless, take courage from the feeble 

 attempt I have made to bring forward subjects requiring general and desultory 

 reading only. 



The Secretary drew attention to a remarkably fine specimen of Soleno- 

 gnathus spinosissimus, presented by Mr. Wyatt, of Mongonui, and to several 

 other recent presentations. 



1. " Notes on the Flora of the Lake District of the North Island," by 

 T. Kirk, F.L.S. (See Transactions, p. 322.) 



This paper was illustrated by numerous dried specimens of plants collected 

 in the district and presented to the Museum by the Director of the Geological 

 Survey. 



2. A note by Capt. Hutton was read on the occurrence of the sprat and 

 anchovy at the Thames, and specimens of these fishes, presented by Mr. C. O. 

 Davis, were exhibited. 



3. "On the Growth of Fhormium tenax" by the Hon. Col. Haultain. 

 (See Transactions, p. 357.) 



* "Saturday Keview,' March 16, 1872, p. 331. 



G 2 



