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Otago Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Annual Report for Session 1943.
Membership: The number of full members for 1943 was 150, as compared with 160 for 1942. There were 9 new members, 3 resignations, 3 deaths and deletions.
Deaths: The death in action is recorded of Flying Officer J. M. Paape, one of the youngest and most promising of our members.
The death is recorded with regret of Miss H. K. Dalrymple, B.A., an enthusiastic botanist.
The Late John Scott Thomson: The following minute, drawn up by Dr. J. E. Holloway, F.R.S., and Dr. F. J. Turner, is placed on record:—
Mr. J. Scott Thomson was a very active member of this society for many years, and a constant attender at the regular meetings. He was on our Council almost continuously from 1928 onwards. He refused nomination for the position of President but was elected Honorary Vice-president for 1942. On a number of occasions be gave addresses to the society and to the Junior Branch illustrated by his magnificent lantern slides on the vegetation of New Zealand and especially on that of the high mountains.
In conjunction with Mr. George Simpson, he successfully carried out very extensive and varied botanical investigations. These were published in some 14 papers in the Transactions of the Royal Society of New Zealand, and in other New Zealand or overseas journals. These papers constitute a valuable contribution to New Zealand Botanical Science. The field work involved in these investigations was such as demanded long-continued and accurate observations, and considerable experimental work. The two men covered a large part of the South Island, some of their expeditions being of a very arduous nature such as would be beyond the physical powers of any but the strongest. It can be mentioned here that Mr. Thomson in his younger days represented Otago in Rugby football.
It is impossible on this occasion to refer in detail to the varied botanical activities of Mr. Thomson and Mr. Simpson. They included the general ecological study of mountain and of forest vegetation, the collection of plants for the garden and for transmission to other botanists, the very successful photography of vegetation, the study of special groups of wild hybrids, the determination of the specific acidity of the soil under different types of forest trees and the precise nature of the competition between Nothofagus and the mixed subtropical forest.
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Mr. Thomson also played a valuable part in interesting the general public by means of his many popular addresses on the native vegetation of this country. Among other addresses he gave the annual Banks Lecture to the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture in 1935. In 1936 the Loder Cup was presented to him in conjunction with Mr. Simpson for meritorious work on the New Zealand flora. The two men collaborated for a number of years with the late Dr. Cockayne, F.R.S., and with Dr. H. H. Allan, of the Plant Research Bureau. Mr. Thomson's private garden comprises one of the most valuable collections in existence of native plants, and many New Zealand and overseas botanists have been able to study these plants there under his guidance.
Attendance: Numbers attending the public meetings were 20, 60, 25, 01, 25, 20, 70, 20. Of these the second was a joint meeting with the Dunedin Field Naturalists' Club, and the seventh a joint meeting with the Otago Branch of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry. Apart from these two meetings the adverse effect of the war on the attendance was evident.
Representatives on Council of Royal Society: The thanks of the branch are again due to Drs. C. M. Focken and F. J. Turner, representatives of the Council.
Representatives on Museum Management Committee: At the beginning of the year Messis. G. Simpson and J. Scott Thomson represented the branch. The late Mr. Thomson's place has now been taken by Mr. L. E. Richdale.
Whero Island: The branch has collaborated with the Southland Branch in seeking from the Lands and Survey Department permission to erect a building for the study of native birds. Permission has now been granted and the council of the Otago Branch has authorised payment of a grant of £10 towards the erection of the building.
Auditorium Fund: This now stands at £1,573 16s 4d.
War Funds: The Branch has invested £100 in the National Savings Account.
Microscopic Section: Due to war conditions meetings were restricted to one at which demonstrations were provided for juniors.
Astronomical Section: Eye pieces were borrowed to replace those stolen. The observatory was opened on the public nights and was visited by parties from Taieri Aerodrome, Boy Scouts and Gill Guidas.
Junior Lectures: The average attendance was 62, a decline due as much to additional school work as to war conditions. Four evenings. Microscopic Section, demonstration; Dr. T. McKibbon, public health; Miss E. J. Batham, M.Sc., parasites; Dr. R. Gardner, plastics.
Main Programme: April 13, Presidential Address, “Scientific Method and World Affairs.” May 11, Roger Duff, M.A., Canterbury Museum, “Excavation of Moa-hunter Burials at Wairau Mouth.” Joint meeting with Dunedin Naturalists' Field Club. June 8, Refrigeration in New Zealand—(a) History, E. Hayes, M.A.; (b) Technique, W. A. Partridge. July 13, Symposium— “Ancient Land Connections in New Zealand”; Geology, Dr. W. N. Benson, F.R.S.; Botany, Dr. J. E. Holloway, F.R.S.; Zoology, Professor B. J. Marples. August 10, J. Harris, B.A., “Recent Trends In Library Organisation”; microfilm. September 14, G. Stratford, “A Synopsis of the Fruit Industry In New Zealand.” October 12, Papers reporting original work—Professor B. J. Marples, “Fossil Penguins”; L. Gurr, “A Method of Recording Bird Behaviour.” Dr. H. D. Skinner, “Decorative Design on Fijian Pottery Water Vessels.” November 9, Annual General Meeting. Recent Museum Accessions.
Original Papers: E. J. Batham, M.Sc., “The Vascular System of New Zealand Species of Gunnera”; Sir William Benham, F.R.S., “The Octopodus Mollusca of New Zealand, Part IV”; J. T. Linzey, “Hydrography of the Estuary of the Avon and Heathcote”; L. E. Richdale, “The White-faced Storm Petrel or Takahi-kare-moana (Pelagodroma marina maoriana Mathews), Parts I, II, III,” “The Titi Wainui or Fairy Prion (Pachyptila turtur Kuhl). Parts I and II.”