476 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



Professor Owen also says the replies to his letters, &c., 

 " anxiously expected through the years 1840, 1841, and 1842, 

 at length arrived, in the letter from Eev. William Cotton, in 

 that from Colonel Wakefield " {snpra), " and in the collection 

 of bones transmitted by the Rev. W. Williams, and received in 

 1843 by the Eev. Dr. Buckland at Oxford" {I.e., p. v.). And, 

 again, " The first letter received by me from New Zealand, 

 confirming this announcement, and acquainting me with the 

 existence of the specimens " (above mentioned), " was written 

 by ]ny friend the Rev. William Cotton, M.A., 10th January, 

 1843" (Z.c, p. 74). 



Dr. Dieffenbach, the naturalist attached to the New Zea- 

 land Land Company, who was in New Zealand during the 

 years 1839, 1S40, and 1841, certainly never heard while here 

 of Professor Owen's first memoir. During his last year in 

 New Zealand he lodged in a house very near mine at 

 Paihia, and we often conversed on the moa and on kindred 

 matters. 



In 1842 Dr. Sinclair (afterwards Colonial Secretary) 

 lodged at that same house, and with him I was also well 

 acquainted ; and I am pretty sure that Dr. Sinclair during 

 that time had not seen Professor Owen's first memoir. 

 And so, I think, I may say of Sir J. D. Hooker and the 

 other officers of the discovery-ships "Erebus" and "Terror," 

 which wintered there in the Bay of Islands in that same 

 year — that they had not then seen a copy of it while in 

 New Zealand. 



Also, the Eev. W. Williams I may mention here, drawing 

 my inferences from his communications with me while staying 

 several days at his house, and from his letters to me ; and more 

 particularly from his long and interesting letter to the Rev. Dr. 

 Buckland which accompanied the collection of bones {stopra), in 

 which letter Mr. Williams is not only wholly silent respecting 

 Professor Owen and his " first memoir," but says, " If the 

 bones are found to be of sufficient interest, I leave it to your 

 judgment to make what use of them you think proper ; but 

 if the duplicates reach you, perhaps one set may with pro- 

 priety be deposited in our museum at Oxford." And Mr. 

 Williams concludes his letter with these words : " Should I 

 obtain anything more perfect, you will not fail to hear from 

 me ; and, in the meantime, may I request the favour of your 

 opinion on these bones, and also the iuformation whether any 

 others of similar character have been found eJseiohere ?" {L.c. 

 pp. 75, 76.) This letter is given in extenso by Professor Owen, 

 and is dated " Feb. 28th, 1842." 



I may here briefly remark that I was not a little surprised 

 to find that the Rev. W. Williams had not specially mentioned 

 in his interesting letter to Dr. Buckland the pair of femora 



