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Annual Meeting: 2nd October, 1907.
Professor H. B. Kirk, President, in the chair.
New Member.—Professor Maurice W. Richmond.
The Chairman announced that Mr. Martin Chapman, K.C., and Professor T. H. Easterfield had been re-elected by the Council to represent the Society for two years on the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute.
The Council's annual report and annual statement of receipts and expenditure were read and adopted.
The report stated (inter alia) that at the five ordinary meetings held during the 1907 session sixteen papers in all had been read.
Exhibits had been shown by Dr. A. K. Newman, and by Messrs. G. V. Hudson, A. Hamilton, C. W. Adams, and C. E. Adams.
It had been found impracticable to have any popular lectures during the session, but the Council expected to arrange for one or two good lectures to be delivered next year.
Regret was expressed at the death of two members of the Society—Mr. Thomas Turnbull, of Wellington, and the Rev. J. McWilliam, of Epsom, Auckland.
Six members had resigned, and five new members had been elected. The total number of members on the roll was now 103.
The Council recorded its satisfaction that the Government had decided to institute botanical surveys in certain parts of the colony, and to afford facilities for a scientific expedition to the outlying islands in the south.
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The statement of receipts and expenditure showed that, inclusive of a balance of £43 14s. 10d. brought forward from the previous financial year, the receipts amounted to £141 7s. 10d. The expenditure came to £94 6s. 8d., leaving a credit balance of £47 1s. 2d. The Research Fund now stood at £43 12s. 9d.; so that the total sum in hand was £90 13s. 11d.
Election of Officers for 1908.—President—Professor H. B. Kirk; Vice-Presidents—Mr. G. V. Hudson and Mr. A. Hamilton; Council—Mr. C. E. Adams, B. Sc., Mr. J. W. Poynton, Mr. T. W. Kirk, F.L.S., Dr. A. K. Newman, Dr. J. M. Bell, Professor T. H. Easterfield, and Mr. Martin Chapman, K.C.; Secretary and Treasurer—Mr. Thomas King; Auditor—Mr. E. R. Dymock, A.I.A.N.Z.
Papers.—1. “On Phagocytes” (illustrated by microscopic preparations), by Dr. C. Monro Hector.
2. “Preliminary Note on a Metaphysical Hypothesis,” by Professor Maurice W. Richmond (p. 538).
3. “The Bipolar Theory,” by H. Farquhar; communicated by Professor H. B. Kirk (p. 259).
4. “Description of a New Ophiurian,” by H. Farquhar communicated by Professor H. B. Kirk (p. 108).
Exhibit.—Mr. R. Coupland Harding showed a very early account (illustrated with excellent woodcuts), by the late Jonathan Pereira, M.D., F.R.S., of the vegetable caterpillar of New Zealand (Sphæria robertsii).
The account was contained in an article in the first volume of “The Pharmaceutical Journal” (1842), page 591. The article was chiefly concerned with a species (unnamed) found in China and Thibet, closely resembling S. entomorrhiza. This species (also illustrated) is much smaller than the New Zealand Sphæria, averaging only 3 in. in length. It was very rare, and was described by the author for the reason that it was one of the most valued articles in the Chinese pharmacopæia. Its Chinese name was “Hia tsao tong tchong,” or “Summer plant, winter worm.” In Japan it was called “Totsu-kaso.”