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Remarks
In opening the proceedings, the President remarked that the Society had entered upon the second decade of its existence as a society affiliated to the New Zealand Institute. Looking back to the close of the first volume of Transactions, he found that the number of members had increased from 102 to 225, and that the total of affiliated societies had increased from four to seven, numbering considerably over 1,100 members, a fact which was exceedingly gratifying, as showing that the taste for scientific pursuits was widely diffused through the colony. The ten volumes of Transactions had been contributed by about 200 workers, and contained a vast amount of information of great value on the zoology, botany, and geology of the country, but not in a shape fully available for the general public. It was therefore advisable that a united effort should be made by the various societies to provide funds for the publication of a Fauna of New Zealand as complete as the present state of our knowledge would allow. He referred to the recently published parts of Mr. Buchanan's work on the indigenous grasses of New Zealand as a step in this direction, and characterized the plates as creditable alike to the author, the Geological Survey Department, and the colony, and expressed his regret that the plan of the work had not been so extended as to admit of its being brought fully abreast of the botanical knowledge of the day.
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1. “How New Zealand may continue to grow Wheat and other Cereals,” by J. C. Crawford, F.G.S. (Transactions p. 149.)
Mr. Kirk considered the remarks in the paper regarding the sterile nature of the Auckland soil required modification., He had seen very fair crops grown in that locality with little or no manure.
Dr. Hector agreed with the author that a good deal of potash was taken out of the colony in the grease of wool, and he knew that this potash grease is saved in England, and used in the after manufacture of wool. With regard to the Auckland soil, he considered it was inferior in some places chiefly owing to the want of drainage or breaking up, Soluble silica is the constituent most essential, and therefore a clay soil is, on the whole, the best, as it retains manure longer. Altogether he thought Mr. Crawford's remarks were valuable.
Dr. Newman considered that possibly a time would come when it would be difficult to procure sufficient food of the ordinary kind, and the wisest plan would be to manufacture the various constituents mentioned directly into food for consumption. He did not see why they could not be as easily manufactured into food themselves as used to assist in producing food from other sources.
Mr. Young thought with Mr. Crawford that much could be done with the assistance of chemistry in keeping up the quality of the soil. The most economical and best agent to employ would be phosphatic guano, which he thought could be procured in large quantities from numerous islands.
Dr. Buller pointed out that, in the neighbourhood of the hot springs, there was a quantity of nice, soft mud, sometimes eaten by the natives, which might serve the purpose indicated by Dr. Newman.
Mr. Kirk said that the sulphur works at Auckland would supply sulphuric acid, which would be most useful for our soils. He stated that nitrogen only formed a very small proportion of the dried plant, frequently less than 1 per cent., and rarely so much as 3 per cent., and therefore could be more easily supplied.
2. “Additions to List of Species, and Notices of rare Occurrences, since the publication of ‘The Birds of New Zealand,’” by Walter L. Buller C.M.G., Sc.D. (Transactions, p. 361.)
3. “Remarks on the Long-tailed Cuckoo (Eudynamis taitensis),” by Walter L. Buller. (Transactions, p. 353.)
4. “On the specific Value of Prion banksii,” by Walter L. Buller. (Transactions, p. 351.)
5. “Further Notes on the Habits of the Tuatara Lizard,” by Walter L. Buller. (Transactions, p. 349.)
Dr. Hector considered Dr. Buller's papers were most interesting, and no doubt some new species would yet be added to the birds of New Zealand—instancing a red wattle-bird in the western forest, of which he had information. With regard to the tuatara, he agreed with Dr. Buller that the two species—Sphenodon punctatum and S. guntheri—would hold good. As regards their feeding habits, he found that they would eat almost anything that moved.
The President considered that the difference in disposition might be accounted for by difference in age, and no doubt the temperature had some influence on their habits.
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Dr. Newman remarked that few reptiles cared to devour any object that was stationary, they require to see it move. He did not agree in thinking that so slight a difference as indicated by Dr. Buller in regard to the birds mentioned could make a distinct species.
Dr. Buller, in reply, pointed out that the great test as regards species was to ascertain whether the differences were constant. As naturalists understood the term he considered his examples were distinct species.
6.“Notes on the Breeding Habits of the Katipo (Latrodectus katipo,),” by C. H. Robson. (Transactions, p. 391.)
Dr. Buller called attention to his paper, in Vol. III. of the Transactions, on this spider, which gave a good deal of information regarding its habits. A professor in Sweden had since pointed out that the Katipo was the representative of an entirely new genus; and Dr. Smith, a celebrated homæopathist, considered the extract from the spider in question would produce a most valuable drug in homæopathy. He had requested him (Dr. Buller) to forward a quantity to England for experiment.
The President said that it was strange that this was the only poisonous animal in New Zealand, and also that only two plants were known to be poisonous.