399 



fire-arms. These scholarships, thirty in number, of the annual value of £100 each, are 

 for the purpose of assisting the study of the theory and practice of mechanics. The 

 scholarships are now open to competition to all British subjects, and it appears that 

 application has been made to ascertain whether colonial youths who compete may be 

 examined by a Board locally appointed. The reply is in the negative, but with an 

 assurance that the importance of making some such provision for the future will not be 

 lost sight of. 



Dr. Hector directed attention to the skeleton of the elephant in the Museum, for 

 which munificent donation the Institution is indebted to the Hon. John M 'Lean, M. L. G. , 

 who secured the carcase and had the bones cleaned at very considerable expense, and 

 with such care that the articulation of the skeleton was easily effected on its arrival at 

 the Museum without further preparation. 



He also read the following extract from the February number of the "Student," 

 which gives an account of how this elephant met its death, on the authority of Dr. 

 Haast :— 



" The most remarkable instance of the poisonous properties of the Coriaria is men-i 

 tioned in a letter from Dr. Haast, of Canterbury, New Zealand. It occurred to an 

 elephant which, after being landed in Otago, was marched inland by its owner for a, 

 considerable distance. Arriving at a suitable halting place, where the vegetation was, 

 abundant, the owner determined to give the animal a spell of a few days' feeding. The 

 grass, which had been burnt off during the previous season, had shot up again with 

 renewed vigour, and amongst it was a very fine crop of succulent young plants of Coriaria. 

 The elephant fed amongst this herbage for four hours, and afterwards went to a neigh- 

 bouring creek and had a long drink. In turning back, the animal began to reel, fell on 

 the ground, and died after three hours ; so that it took only seven hours from the time 

 the beast began to feed amongst the plants, until he died. It would seem from this 

 instance that the poison must be very virulent. It is, moreover, remarkable that the 

 elephant should, like sheep and cattle, eat the plant, while the horse will not touch it." 



A Report on, and Maps of the Gympie Gold Field in Queensland, by T. R. Hacket, 

 a member of the Society, communicated for the information of members by Dr. Hector, 

 who drew attention to the striking similarity of the geology of the Gynipie gold fields to, 

 the Thames district. 



Mr. Skey informed the meeting that owing to the incompletion of the gas fittings he 

 was unable to fulfil his promise of demonstrating the action of his hot blast blow-pipe. 



Papers read :— = 



(1.) "On the Habits and Nidification of some of the Birds of New Zealand," by T. 

 H. Potts. (See ante, p. 40.) Only extracts from this communication could be read. In 

 the introductory portion the author discusses the necessity for the practical study of 

 natural history in a country where there is no game, as it afforded that great necessity for 

 bodily and mental health — outdoor pastime. The observations made by himself and sons 

 during a long residence in the Province of Canterbury, where he acquired favourable 

 opportunities for pursuing this study, were embodied in the paper in the hope that others 

 might be attracted to devote some of their time to the same pursuit. The author then 

 described the different forms of nests which occur in New Zealand, and drew inferences 

 as to the objects of the various modifications. Referring to the habits of the birds, he 

 discussed the many causes that have led almost to the extinction of so many species ; and 

 gave a graphic description of a locality which not many years ago was a favourite 

 breeding ground for upwards of thirty species, but where now hardly any are to be met 

 with. The remainder of the paper gives a detailed description of the habits, nidification, 

 and eggs of forty -two specimens of New Zealand birds, from original observations. 



Dr. Hector mentioned that most of the eggs and nests referred to in the paper had 

 been presented to the Museum by Mr. Potts. 



(2.) "On the Alkalinity of Carbonate of Lime," by W. Skej^. (See ante, p. 150.) 

 This paper showed by experiment that contrary to the usual opinion the above substance 

 is always alkaline in its reaction, whether prepared chemically, pure, or existing in 

 natural crystals. 



(3.) "On the Absorptive Properties of Silica and its direct Hydration by contact 

 with Water," by W. Skey. (See ante, p. 151.) This gave the results of experiments in 

 continuation of those mentioned in No. 157 of the "London Chemical News." The 

 practical bearing of the paper was to prove that the so-called mechanical absorption of 

 soils was a purely chemical reaction. 



(4.) "On the Results of the Examination of the Bark of Coprosma grandifolia for 

 Alkaloids," by W. Skey. (See ante, p. 152.) A careful examination has failed as yet to 

 trace the powerful bitter of this substance to the presence of an Alkaloid. 



(5.) " On Silver Ore from Stewart's Island," by W. Skey. Being the result of the 

 analysis of a specimen of cpiartz gangue containing six ounces of sdver to the ton, associated 

 with iron pyrites, — no gold was found, The vein is from the junction of fine grained 



