540 Proceedings. 



give some explauatioii of the occurrence in tlii^ country of implements of 

 an apparently foreign origin. 



Sir James Hector said the specimens were very interesting, but, 

 although somewhat different from some of the ordinary implements, ho 

 hardly thought they could be considered altogether rare. The ]\Iaoris 

 were fond of cutting ornaments out of greenstone, and the reason of the 

 small size of the adze was probably owing simply to tlie fact that the 

 piece of stone happened to be no larger. It might have been a pure 

 accident. 



Mr. Percy Smith had seen stone axes very similar to No. 1, although 

 perhaps not quite the same ; neither did he think No. 2 altogether rare. 

 There were a great variety of stone implements among the natives, and 

 he did not think there was anything very uncommon in those before the 

 meeting. 



Mr. Tregear said he had a small adze almost exactly like No. ;-3, 

 except that it had no hole in it. He thought it likely that the natives 

 used these small adzes for fine carving ; or, possibly, it may have been 

 intended for a child's ornament. 



4. " On the Assumed Hybridity between the Common 

 Fowl and tlie Woodhen {Ocyd romus) ," by James Murie, 

 M.D., LL.D., F.L.S. Communicated by Sir Walter Buller, 

 K.C.M.G., F.E.S. {Transactions, p. 342.) 



Mr. Tregear exhibited some skulls from the Chatham 

 Islands. 



