WeUiiujton Pliilosojjhical Society. 539 



Mr. Hart said that a very slight addition to the sun's atmosphere 

 would have a groat influence on the earth. 



2. " Note oil the Wandering Albatros (Diomedea exnlaiis,)" 

 by Sir W. Biiller, K.C.M.G., D.Sc, F.E.S. (Transactions, 

 p. 3i0.) 



Sir J. Hector said tliat Mr. Chapman had lately visited the islands 

 referred to, and his views pointed to a different conclusion from that of 

 Sir W. BuUer. He hoped Mr. Chapman would place his notes on the 

 subject before the society. 



Mr. Travers mentioned that his son had also made observations on 

 these birds on the expedition referred to by Sir J. Hector. The birds 

 came to full plumage after four years, and began to breed before that 

 time. He described how the gulls got the fish out of the bivalves by 

 taking them to a height and letting them drop, when the shell broke and 

 the fish was eaten. 



^Ir. Tregear had seen numbers of these birds at the Chathams. 

 They had only white plumage, and were not able to fly. 



3. " On some Maori Implements of Uncommon Design," 

 by T. W. Kirk, F.R.M.S. 



The specimens were procured from an old burial-ground on the cast 

 coast of the Wellington District. They are — 



No. 1, Stone Axe. — A remarkably wide and flat weapon, 8jin. long 

 by 4in. in its greatest width — that is, just where the curve of the cutting- 

 edge springs. From here to the top is a gradual curve, the narrow end 

 which fits into the handle being somewhat rounded. It is fin. thick in 

 the centre, whence it slopes in all directions, with a margin rigiit round, 

 quite as sharp as the usual cutting-edges. It is made of a dark-green 

 clay-slate, and has been highly polished. A glance is sufficient to show 

 that it is quite unlike an ordinary Maori J:apu. There is, however, in the 

 collection of Maori adzes in the IMuseum a specimen exhibiting a decided 

 similarity to the Fiji weapons, being thick and rounded, tapering to a 

 point at the head. The one before us is very like — indeed, almost identical 

 with — one from Queensland presented to the Museum by Sir G. Bowen. 

 This is, however, of undoubted South Sea origin. Indeed, the fact is well 

 established that the natives of some parts of Australia obtain weapons 

 from the Islanders. ]My weapon was found with portions of the skeleton 

 of an adult Maori. 



No. 2 is presumably a pestle for pounding fern-root. Tiie total 

 length is lO^in. ; the greatest diameter 2.Jin. at the middle, whence it 

 tapers slightly and equally to both ends. The ends themselves arc 

 somewhat rounded, and are evidently meant to be used indiscriminately. 

 The stone — apparently a hard sandstone — ^has been carefully dressed 

 and smoothed, but not polished. It was dug out from near the root 

 of a large karaka-tree, and is, so far as I know, unique as a New 

 Zealand implement. An examination shows few or no points of 

 similarity with the ordinary Maori fern-beater, whilst it reveals a 

 wonderful likeness to the grain- pestles of some of the American 

 Indians. 



No. 3, a greenstone ear-pendant, in the form of an adze, Igin. long 

 by exactly ^in. in greatest width, is very flat, but pierced at the top to 

 allow of a string to suspend it by. This was found buried witli the 

 skeleton of a young child ; it was lying quite close to the skull. I have 

 never seen an ear-ornament of this design before, though I believe neck- 

 laces of bones cut into similar shapes are known, but rare. 



These few articles are exhibited this evening in the hope that those 

 members of the Society who are skilled in Maori matters may be able to 



