xliv Proceedings. [Jftrr joth, ip/6. 



Ordinary Meeting, May 30th, 19 16. 



Professor W, W. Haldane Gee, B.Sc, M.Sc.Tech., Vice- 

 President, in the Chair. 



A vote of thanks was accorded the donors of the books on 

 the table. These included " Transactions and Proceedings of 

 the New Zealand Institute" vols. 1 — 47 (8vo., Wellington, N.Z., 

 1869 — 1915), presented by Mr. Edward Melland. 



Dr. W. H. R. River?, M.D., F.R.S., read a paper entitled 

 " Irrigation and the Cultivation of Taro." 



In the New Hebrides and New Caledonia irrigation is only 

 used for the cultivation of Colocasia antujuorum, the taro of the 

 Polynesians. This intimate connection between irrigation and 

 taro, which is found in other parts of Oceania, suggests that if 

 irrigation belongs to the megalithic culture (VY. J. Perry, Man- 

 chester Memoirs, Vol. 60, Part I.), taro must have had a similar 

 history. The distribution of the plant supports this suggestion, 

 showing a close correspondence with that of the megalithic culture 

 when its tropical and semi-tropical habits are taken into account. 

 It occurs in Oceania, the Malay Archipelago, India and Eastern 

 Asia, Arabia, Egypt, East and West Africa, the Canary Islands, 

 Algeria, Southern Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as tropical 

 America. Since the original habitat of the plant is Southern 

 Asia, its use as a food was probably acquired by the megalithic 

 people in India and taken by them both to the east and west. 



Although the general distribution of taro in Southern Mela- 

 nesia corresponds with that of the megalithic influence, a 

 difficulty is raised by the island of Malekula, in the new 

 Hebrides. So far as we know, irrigation does not occur in this 

 island, although megalithic influence is present in a very definite 

 form. To account for the absence of irrigation in this island, it 

 is shown that modes of disposal of the dead point to two mega- 

 lithic intrusions into Oceania, and the high degree of develop- 

 ment of irrigation in such outlying islands and districts as New 

 Caledonia, Anaiteum and North-Western Santo in Melanesia 



