﻿420 Froceedmgs. 



liberality of this comraixnity in the cause of science seems to have expended 

 itself in that year. The notable examples of a very different spirit, some of 

 the overflowings from which have reached us in these welcome pi-esents, will, 

 I hope, not be without their effect upon us. This is not the place to suggest 

 what needs to be done, but I desire emphatically to express my conviction that 

 one of the foremost duties of this Society lies in this direction, and that it is 

 high time that some steps were taken to fulfil it, 



" Another point which is worthy of attention in connection with the insti- 

 tutions whose politeness to us we are signalizing, is the energetic system of 

 exchanges which both of them maintain. If the Otago Museum were con- 

 stantly in the receipt of specimens with which it could afford to part, these 

 institutions, and many others, would gladly exchange with it. These exchanges 

 would not necessarily be confined to ISTatural History sj)ecimens. In exchange 

 for properly prepared series illustrating our products and industries similar 

 illustrations of those of other countries could be obtained. As the humour of 

 the day is to talk much about immigration, and to bewail the slow influx of 

 people from other countries, I may suggest that every such exchange would 

 establish a permanent advertisement of the resources of the colony in some 

 populous locality, which would become an inexpensive and useful emigration 

 agent." 



Some other presentations were announced, and together with scientific 

 periodicals were on the table for the inspection of members. 



Sixth Meeting, lith J^ovember, 1871. 



R. Gillies, Yice-President, in the chair. 



The nomination for the election of Honorary Members of the New Zealand 

 Institute was made in accordance with Statute lY. 



1. " On Proportion applied to Geometry," by D. Brent, M. A. The author 

 gives an outline of the treatment of proportion in the fifth book of Euclid, 

 and shows how arithmetic should be applied to geometry, and to magnitude in 

 general. In concluding he states that, " although in favour of the substitution 

 of a chapter of arithmetic applied to magnitude for the now nearly obsolete 

 fifth book of Euclid, he does not, therefore, advocate the introduction of 

 arithmetical or algebraical symbols of quantity into pure geometry — far from 

 it, fer in the very absence of these symbols consists its great value for mental 

 training, inasmuch as at every step there is an appeal to the reason. The pure 

 geometry also more clearly exhibits the processes of the demonstration and 

 the relations of the figure than does the younger and far more powerful sister 



