Wellington Philosophical Society. 543 



of the cobwebs of prejudice which surrounded it in the pubUc mind. Another interesting 

 paper is one by Mr. Travers upon the effects of certain floods. In arranging the papers of 

 the " Transactions " for the printer, he found that a valuable paper was read before the 

 Otago Institute by Mr. Arthur on a similar subject, and both opened up a question of great 

 importance and interest. Mr. Arthur had shown that storms could be gauged in such a 

 manner that we could ascertain what amount of rain was likely to be deposited upon . 

 a certain area of country. Advantage might be taken of this knowledge to erect dams to 

 hold the quantity of water that might fall within a given time. These dams might be 

 placed in favourable positions for trapping the water, and by performing the same func- 

 tions as Lakes in Alpine districts, and only alloAving it to flow slowly to the sea, would 

 thus prevent the damage done by floods. Every person could find time to take the reading 

 of a rain gauge, and by a comparison of results much valuable information might be thus 

 gathered. He again adverted to the necessity for systematic Magnetical observations in 

 New Zealand. Not long ago Professor Stokes, one of the secretaries of the Eoyal 

 Society read a remarkable paper on the effect of electrical storms caused by revolving 

 currents of air which passed over distant parts of the earth's surface possessing 

 extremes of temperature. He (Dr. Hector) thought we might be on the brink of 

 discovering some link between these electrical storms and earthquakes, but to 

 solve this question would necessitate a much more complete equipment in our 

 observatories than we possess at present. We must take some more accurate means 

 of recording the passage of earthquake shocks, their duration and locality. In the 

 matter of zoological work the past year would be known as the Notornis year. This bird 

 was once supposed to be extinct like the moa, but now it was to be hoped that more 

 specimens would soon be available for their inspection and study. He might mention 

 that Dr. BuUer's new " Manual of the Birds of New Zealand" was now through the press. 

 The last sheets had been corrected, and the work would, in a few days, be in the hands of 

 the public. In botanical work the Society had placed on record some very interesting 

 discoveries, most of which had been in relation to the alpine flora of New Zealand. They 

 had now got a very complete collection of live plants from the mountain ranges, specimens 

 of which had been distributed by the Government to the different gardens in the colony. 

 They had also just received from Mr. Kirk a very complete collection from Stewart Island. 

 A most valuable series of observations commenced by the late Mr. Ludlam had not been 

 carried out, and no one had again taken the matter up. These observations were in con- 

 nection with the periods of budding and fruiting of various kinds of introduced trees 

 and plants. Much valuable information might be obtained in this manner, and might 

 prevent us making mistakes in the introduction of forest and other trees. After further 

 remarks on various attacks recently made on the uniformitarian school of geologists 

 founded by the late Sir Charles Lyell, Dr. Hector concluded by thanking the members of 

 the Society for the manner in which they had supported him during his term of office as 

 President. 



1. " On a Fundamental Error in Dynamics, the Theory of Gravitation, 

 and the Nebular Hypothesis," by Victor Falkner. 



ABSTKACT. 



The paper dealt with Newton's explanation of Kepler's laws and that 

 part of the nebular hypothesis that hinges on it. The writer contended 

 that dynamics was essentially an experimental and inductive science, and 

 that little reliance could be placed on the results of deduction in it. He 



