A74. JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
making it, which was carried on with the help of a large diagram, 
like one of those which the old alchemists used to employ, the 
clergyman held the watch while Dixon added the drops. We 
all gathered round, and stared into the mixture. One gentle- 
man, then a shareholder, was smoking, and he spat very close to » 
the jug. Dixon and the parson jumped back, and said that if 
the spittle had gone into the jug we would have been all hurled | 
into eternity. Dixon asked the parson what had before hap- 
pened when but a little moisture got into the jug, and according 
to the latter it was something not far short of what had just been 
mentioned. Both retired to prepare a small extra dose. I sug- 
gested to the gentleman left with me that the mixture was only 
kerosene, and that spittle would do it no harm. He said if I 
spat in it, he would also. (Laughter.) I put in my finger and 
smelt kerosene. We then both spat into it.” (Much laughter.) 
MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
— — .<—___. 
PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE OF CANTERBURY: 
Christchurch, 7th June, 1883. Protessor F. W. Hutton, Presi- 
dent, in the chair. 
New Member—Mr. A. Loughrey. 
Papers.—1. Notes on the fertilisation of Red Clover in New 
Zealand, by J. B. Armstrong. The author described experiments 
which shewed that the red clover (Trifolium pratense) was to some 
extent self-fertile in New Zealand. but produced tenfold the num- 
ber of seeds when growing unprotected in the fields. He thought 
it was fertilised by the honey bee. He pointed out that seeds 
were imported into New Zealand from many parts of the world, 
and to the cross-fertilisation thus brought about he attributed the 
luxuriant growth of the vegetation here. This important paper 
will be published in full in our next number. | 
Mr. Murphy stated that he had obtained 60 seeds from a head 
of red clover, and 30 of them germinated. He thought that the 
virgin soil of New Zealand had much to do with the greater luxu- 
riance of plants, although cross-fertilisation of imported seeds may 
help. 
a Webb wished to know whether the humble bee was wanted 
in New Zealand for the clover. 
Mr. Fereday stated that moths of the family Noctuz visited 
the red clover in England, but as the Noctue were getting scarcer 
every year in New Zealand, whilst the red clover appeared to be 
getting more fertile, it was not probable that fertilisation was due 
to them. He thought that humble bees could be brought out in 
their hybernating state in the cool chamber of steamships. If they 
arrived here in the middle of summer, they would have plenty of 
time to rear their young before the winter. 
Mr. Meyrick said that experiments made in America shewed 
that, although the red clover was self-fertile there, it produced four 
times as many seeds when cross-fertilised by humble bees. Sir]. 
