1918.] The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. 
311 
UNIVERSITY AND SCIENTIFIC NEWS. 
Philosophical Institute of Canterbury. 
August 7.—Mr. L. J. Wild exhibited a tube of soil in which peculiar 
organisms had developed, and gave a short address on “ Soil Organisms 
and the Effects of the Partial Sterilization of Soils.” 
“ Daylight-saving ” : Dr. Earr, Mr. Birks, and Dr. Hilgendorf opened 
a discussion of the proposal to make New Zealand standard time exactly 
twelve hours in advance of Greenwich mean time. A lively debate ensued, 
and finally the discussion was adjourned to a later date. 
Wellington Philosophical Society. 
The following papers were read and discussed :— 
June 26 : E. Phillips Turner, “ Notes on the Bate of Growth of New 
Zealand Trees.” July 24 : G. Hogben, 44 The Need for Research ” ; J. Allan 
Thomson, 44 Stephen Island, a Natural Sanctuary for Land-animals ” ; 
Miss M. K. Mestayer, 44 New Species of Mollusca from various Dredgings 
taken off the Coast of New Zealand, the Snares Islands, and the 
Bounty Islands ” ; W. J. Phillipps, “ A Vernacular Index of New Zealand 
Fish.” 
Astronomical Section .—July 3 : A. C. Gifford, 44 New Stars.” August 7 : 
Members, “ Notes on the Occultation of 7 Aquarii by Venus,” 44 Further 
Notes on Nova Aquilae.” 
Geological Section .—July 17 : J. Allan Thomson, “ Notes on the Geology 
of Stephen Island and of D’Urville Island,” 44 The Origin of the Amuri 
Limestone and Flint Beds ” ; P. G. Morgan, 44 Permo-Carboniferous (Maitai) 
Bocks of the Eastern Part of the South Island.” 
Technological Section. —July 10 : W. S. La Trobe, 44 The Functions of 
the State in Relation to Technical Education.” August 14 : T. H. Easter- 
held, 44 The Distillation of Coal, and the Resulting By-products.” 
Obituary. 
Mr. Henry Suter, the well-known malacologist and palaeontologist, 
died in Christchurch on the 2nd August, at the age of seventy-seven. 
Mr. Suter is best known as the author of the Manual of the New Zealand 
Mollusca, published in 1914, but has since 1911 been engaged by the 
Geological Survey Department in the revision and determination of Tertiary 
Mollusca, and is the author of three Palaeontological Bulletins. A full 
biographical notice will, we understand, be published in the Transactions 
of the New Zealand Institute. 
News has reached the Dominion that Dr. E. A. Newell Arber, 
University Demonstrator in Palaeobotany in the University of Cambridge, 
has died recently in that city. Dr. Arber was the author of The Earlier 
Mesozoic Floras of New Zealand , published in 1917 as Palaeontological 
Bulletin No. 6 of the Geological Survey. Of this work the Director of 
