Apparently a bird would "sport" in the colour of its feathers, though in anything in the nature of skin it would not do so.

3. Cuttle-fish (Architeuthis verrilla).

Portions of a huge cuttle-fish were found at Island Bay about ten years ago, and described by Mr. T. W. Kirk in the "Transactions of the New Zealand Institute," vol. xiv., p. 284. These remains have been in possession of the Museum authorities for some time, and have now been skilfully arranged for public exhibition by Mr. A. Yuill. The two long tentacular arms, which have apparently not been preserved, were each 30 ft. in length when extended, so that the fish had a reach of no less than 20 yards. Bathers at Island Bay would do well to keep their weather eye open for such ugly denizens of the deep.

4. Recently discovered New South Wales opals-a very handsome collection; presented by Mr. W. M. Hunt, of Masterton.

5. Young specimen of a rare fish (Centriscus humerosus); presented by Mr. Travers.

6. Puriri block, with Maori stone adze embedded in it; presented by Mr. Lister, of Kohukohu.

7. The shining cuckoo.

Sir James Hector said the cuckoo had made a somewhat early visit to New Zealand this year, and a beautiful specimen of the little shining cuckoo had just been added to the collection in the Museum. This bird came down here every spring, generally in the month of September, from the Andaman Islands, south of Burmah, and even from the Phillipine Islands. It was a delicate little bird, with beautiful plumage. The specimen secured by him must have been hatched here last year, for these birds nested in New Zealand. It then went home to some tropical country, spent the winter there, and returned on another trip to New Zealand. The instinct that carried these birds to and fro between such far-distant countries as New Zealand and the Phillipines was truly wonderful. It might be, however, that the bird had a nearer winter home in some of the South Pacific islands, such as Tonga or Samoa. A bigger cuckoo, however, visited New Zealand from Tahiti, and a curious point about it was that it selected the only pensile nest there was in New Zealand-namely, that of the fantail-for the purpose of hatching its eggs. These pensile nests were more common in tropical countries where the cuckoo came from. These birds turned the eggs of the fantail out of the nest to lay their own there, and the little fantails had to hatch out these bigger eggs for the interloper. This, he added, went on year after year.

8. Fossil bones (Cetacean), from Hangaroa River, near the Gisborne-Rotorua stock-track; found by Mr. J. B. Jackson, and presented to the Museum by Mr. S. Percy Smith.

ANNUAL MEETING: 20th March, 1900.

Mr. E. Tregear, President, in the chair.

ABSTRACT OF ANNUAL REPORT.

During the past year the Society has held five general meetings, at which thirty-six papers and communications were read.

Five new names have been added to the roll of members.

The balance-sheet shows that the receipts for the year, including the balance carried forward, amount to £172 11s. 8d., and the expenditure to £77 Os. 2d., leaving a balance in hand in current account of £95 11s. 6d.

There is also the Research Fund at fixed deposit, now amounting to £34 9s. 6d., which increases the credit balance to £130 1s.

ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 1900.-President—G. V. Hudson, F.E.S.; Vice-presidents-Sir James Hector, H. B. Kirk, M.A.; Council--George Denton, Martin Chapman, G. Hogben, M.A., R. C. Harding, H. N. McLeod, R. L. Mestayer, E. Tregear, F.R.G.S.; Secretary and TreasurerR. B. Gore; Auditor-T. King.

Papers.-1. "The Polynesian Name for Spider," by E. Tregear, F.R.G.S. (Transactions, p. 298).

2. " Explorations in the Te Anau District," by A. C. Gifford.

The journey was made by himself and three other gentlemen in January of this year, from the north fiord of Lake Te Anau to Bligh Sound and back. He claimed that this was the first time the journey had been completed by Europeans. In illustration of his narrative Mr. Gifford exhibited collections of very excellent photographs which he secured en route. Numerous points of interest in connection with the journey were dwelt upon by the speaker. At one stage, he said, the streams were found to be of a chocolate colour, due to some growth in their beds. The Kareni Falls were remarkable for the exceedingly narrow space into which the river was compressed in making its plunge. Another fall to the westward was described as being notable for its extreme beauty. The lowest level of the summit of the pass was 3,700 ft. On its westward side the travelling was much easier than on the Lake Te Anau side. A creek in one valley was remarkable for the large number of pot-holes which it contained. They were of all sizes. Some were as much as 10 ft. across and 8 ft. deep, while all had the stones in them which had made them. A long and narrow cañon and a river which disappeared underground were among other wonders encountered. For a quarter of a mile from the place where the river was lost to sight it could be heard roaring underfoot, but afterwards the sound diminished, and was ultimately lost. At one point the party saw thousands upon thousands of caterpillars climbing from the ground to the branches of shrubs by means of lines of their own making. The kea parrots threatened the travellers as they made their way through the mountainous country. Numbers of blue-duck were seen, and many penguins in Bligh Sound. Only two rabbits were noticed, one on the very summit of the pass and the other on the shore of the sound. The mountain flowers were profuse and very beautiful. There was much less snow about than usual. A great deal of rain fell, and on the return journey the weather was particularly bad. It was found that the food and effects which had to be carried could not

be kept at less than 1 cwt. per man, and in consequence every part of the track taken had to be covered three times.

Mr. Harding suggested that if Mr. Gifford's paper was published he should illustrate it by means of some of the very beautiful photographs which he had taken.

Sir James Hector thanked the author for his address, which had been prepared at his special request, on very short notice. The toils, dangers, and hardships of such an exploration were most graphically described, and were easily recognised by early explorers, though known to but few modern tourists. The beautiful but appalling character of the scenery of this wonderful district of New Zealand was also excellently illustrated by the author's photographs, taken under great difficulties. The same country had been partially explored in 1863 by himself (Sir J. Hector), but he had chiefly followed the mountain tops and avoided the valleys. At the time of the first visit of the Admiralty survey-ship "Acheron" in 1950 there was a considerable Maori camp at the head of Bligh Sound. The natives were not seen, but their fires were found, and several mats and other articles obtained. In 1863 he himself followed up this flat valley on an old trail for some distance, the Maoris he had with him telling him that it led through to the Te Anau Lake and to Milford Sound, but most probably the trail, which was soon lost, led over the mountains, and did not follow the rugged valley and pass which the author and his party had discovered.*

Mr. Hudson said the caterpillars seen by Mr. Gifford would be geometers. They had probably been frightened by a strong wind, and let themselves down from the shrubs, and were ascending again when the travellers saw them.

Mr. Tregear said there was no occasion for Mr. Gifford to apologize that his narrative was not scientific. It was the duty of the Society to encourage exploration, and he was sure that Mr. Gifford's account of his party's journey was highly interesting.

3. Notes by Sir James Hector on a collection of Virginian quail (Coturnix) recently imported by the Acclimatisation Society.

Sir James Hector said the specimens were some of those that died on the passage, and were most artistically mounted by Mr. Yuill, taxidermist to the Museum. He reminded members that quails had a worldwide distribution. The common quail of Europe was migratory, and flew by night, and was shot and snared in thousands in southern Europe for the supply of the market in large cities. During the migrations the males arrived first, and, as they did not pair like the closely allied partridge, but were polygamous, they indulged in furious contests for supremacy, and thus fell a ready prey to the fowler. New Zealand had a native quail (Coturnix nova-zealandia), which was a very fine bird, and abounded, in the early days of settlement, in the open grass lands of Nelson, Canterbury, and Otago, and afforded excellent sport, as many as two or three dozen pairs being considered a fair morning's bag. Now they were quite extinct, as, being ground-birds, they fell an easy prey to the many enemies introduced into the colony. The brown quail of Aus tralia was a closely allied species, but was a smaller bird. A few had been turned out in the North of Auckland and up the Wanganui Valley, but they had not thriven, no doubt for the same reasons which had led to

* Owing to the rapids and scattered fragments of rocks it was not possible to examine the river beyond two miles from its mouth, when the " Acheron" party came on the fresh footmarks of some natives, who were heard making their escape through the thick underwood. These people, as far as we could learn, belong to a small. isolated, and almost unknown tribe.-Notes by Captain Stokes, H.M.S. "Acheron," published in the "New Zealand Pilot."

the destruction of the native species. The Californian or plumed quail was introduced more than twenty years ago, and had spread all over the islands with great vigour, and in many parts become quite abundant. It had the advantage of being to some extent a roosting bird, and thus escaped a certain class of enemies, but it seemed to be gradually succumbing to the continued attacks of fowlers with nets, who caught them in large numbers for the market and for the supply of canneries; and it was rare now to see the large flocks of this Californian quail which used to be common in many parts of the country. The Virginian quail (Perdix (Ortyx) virginiana) was often termed the "American partridge," or the " bob-white," which represented its clear call-note. Its flesh was excellent in autumn, as it fed on grain, and took a lot of it. It sheltered in the low trees and brushwood round the open fields, and in winter became very bold, approaching human habitations in search of food, and boldly fighting with poultry for a share of their grain. At this season as many as ten or fifteen were frequently caught at one time under a drop-coop trap. This bird was the largest of the quails, and laid fifteen to twentyfour pure-white eggs under the shelter of a grass-tuft. The chicks ran about as soon as they were out of the shells, and the little ones were led off by their mothers to the best feeding-places. These quail roosted on the top of a knoll in the middle of open ground, sitting in a close circle with their heads directed outwards and their tails touching, so that they were on the alert against attack.

Mr. Tregear exhibited a cone-shaped frame of cane covered with cobwebs.

He said the exhibit was from Tanna, New Hebrides, where similar cones were used as head gear by dancers. In Samoa these frames were put in dark places, where they were spun over by poisonous spiders. They were then used as a means of inflicting a cruel punishment, which consisted in placing the cones on the heads of offending natives, who suffered terribly from the bites of the insects.

Mr. Hustwick said a similar thing was used in Madagascar, only it was an enclosure with the spiders in the roof.

The following exhibits were shown, and explained by Sir James Hector :

1. A karaka log with Moriori workings showing ownership, obtained at Chatham Islands.

Mr. Travers pointed out that these marked logs were used for fixing boundaries. He had mentioned this in a paper he had read some years ago.

2. Specimen of the group Centipedes (Julida), collected by Mr. F. J. Robertshaw, of Picton, from a bunch of bananas.

This was the third specimen obtained, and had been distinguished as Spirosterptes fijiensis. They were quite harmless, except on account of the strong and unpleasant odour which they give off.

3. Two specimens of crayfish-Paranephrops setosus, from Urenui Creek, Taranaki district, collected by Mr. Halcombe; and_Paranephrops horridus, from Foxton, obtained by Mr. W. T. L. Travers (a gigantic specimen: length, including outstretched arms, 11 in.; carapice, 3 in.; abdomen, 4 in.; anterior legs, 5.5 in.; greatest width of carapice, 1.5 in.: probably a new species, but agrees with the species quoted in many respects).

4. Relics of the first New Zealand Printing Press, by R. Coupland Harding. (Transactions, p. 400.)

66

Mr. Harding said the late Rev. W. Colenso, of Hawke's Bay, had bequeathed to him a quantity of printing material. In going through the material he found two large cases," which still had type in them. These cases were the original ones which Mr. Colenso used when he first came to New Zealand. They were made in 1836, but were in excellent preservation. It was his (Mr. Harding's) wish, if the authorities were agreeable, to present the cases and sundry other relics of the first printing-office in New Zealand to the Colonial Museum.

Sir James Hector said that Mr. Harding's gift would be accepted for the Museum with great pleasure.