532 Proceedings. 



Dr. BuUer said that it was gratifying to find one of the members taking up this 

 branch of zoology, and he hoped the author Avould continue his useful work. 



6, " Notes and Suggestions on the Utilization of certain neglected New 

 Zealand Timbers," by T. Kirk, F.L.S. [Transactions, p. 458.) 



Mr. Field was glad that attention had been drawn to this subject. He had been 

 assured by a French gentleman now preparing a work on the subject, that a ready market 

 could be found for these ornamental timbers in Paris. 



Mr. J. T. Thomson considered that great difficulty would be experienced in preserving 

 our timbers. The settlers do not care about moving in the matter, and if done at all it 

 must be done by Government. It would, he thought, be difficult to utilize these timbers 

 to the extent pointed out. He did not think the destruction to our forests was so great 

 as was supposed ; the blue gum would in a great measure replace them. 



Dr. Buller gathered from the paper that what the author particularly wished to 

 advocate was the establishment of a trade in ornamental timbers between New Zealand 

 and Europe ; and from his experience he thought there would be no difficulty whatever 

 in carrying this out. The conservation of the forests would follow as a matter of course. 



Mr. Knorpp stated that he had been enabled to bring these timbers prominently 

 before the continental people, as he had exhibited a piece of work at the Paris Exhibition, 

 made by Mr. Seuffert, of Auckland, and he understood that it had been so much admired 

 that it had been awarded a medal. He had a considerable quantity of rewarewa and 

 totara knots now in Wellington, which he would gladly give up to anyone who would 

 undertake to send them either to Paris or London as an experiment, and he would assist 

 them in any way he could in opening up a trade in this direction. 



Mr. W. E. E. Brown asked if the white pine cut fresh here, and sent away, would 

 still be subject to the destructive insect ; and the author explained that he was of opinion 

 that the insect only attacked white pine that was cut out of season. Mr. Kirk further 

 stated in reply that he did not think any amount of planting we could do should prevent 

 us from conserving our forests. There were no forests of blue gum that he knew of to 

 make up for the destruction. No opposition on the part of settlers should prevent the 

 forests being protected. It must be done sooner or later, and the sooner the better for 

 all concerned. 



The Chairman admitted that the destruction was great, but agreed with Mr. 

 Thomson as to the difficulty of stopping it. An able report had been made on 

 the subject by Captain Campbell-Walker, but nothing had come of it. If it were looked 

 at as the property of the whole colony, then something might be done. He did not think 

 dry rot could be stopped, unless the timber were floated ; he found that answer in India. 

 None of the plans for preserving timber mentioned would, he thought, be successful, 

 except the application of creosote, and that was too expensive. The beauty of New 

 Zealand timber had been exaggerated. None of it could compare with mahogany, walnut, 

 and several others. He did not think so much of the kauri as others did. The high rate 

 of interest is against the establishment of a timber trade, as proposed, between this and 

 other countries. 



The Chairman drew attention to casts of a Maori idol, procured from the natives in 

 the North by Sir George Grey, which was very interesting owing to its bearing such a 

 resemblance to idols found in other islands far from New Zealand. 



Mr. John Kebbell also explained the working of a gas-lamp which he had constructed 

 with a view to enabling one uniform temperature to be kept up in any room. 



The lamp in question had been prepared for the clockroom at the Observatory. 



