,552 Proceedings. 



2. "A Description of Two Newly-discovered Indigenous 

 Cryptogamic Plants." by W. Colenso, F.E.S., F.L.S., etc. 

 (Transactions, p. 449.) 



Several specimens of those two plants were exhibited by 

 Mr. Colenso ; and also fine specimens of the following in- 

 digenous and rare fungi collected by him, in very good pre- 

 servation : Hydnum novoi-zealandice, Col., sp. nov. ;'■' Hirneola 

 polytricha, Mont. ; Aseroe corrugata, Col., sp. nov. ;! Ileodictyon 

 cibarium, Tulasne ; Secotiicm erythrocephalum, Tulasne. 



3. " On the Large Meteor of the 4th May, 1888," by 

 Taylor White. {Transactions, p. 105.) 



Mr. H. Hill then brought before the meeting the desirability 

 of forming a small Field Naturalists' Club or Society in con- 

 nection wdth this branch of the Institute, and pointed out the 

 desirability of promoting active and intelligent observation of 

 the natural history of our country, and the use such a society 

 might be to the Institute. 



The Secretary exhibited several trays of small but beauti- 

 ful corals of various forms and colours, including the precious 

 red coral of commerce, from his private collections. 



Fourth Meeting : 12tli August, 1889. 



Papers. — 1. " On the Wild Dogs of New Zealand," by 

 Taylor White. (Transactions, p. 327.) 



In the discussion which followed, Mr. J. T. Large, of the Wairoa, said 

 that from all he had heard of the dog from the natives he believed that the 

 animal was a small one, and extremely docile, not to say spiritless, which 

 might be accounted for by the fact that the animal lived almost ex- 

 clusively on fish and vegetable diet. The dog was reared by the natives 

 for its hair and for food ; and he did not agree with the writer in thinking 

 that the animals killed Ijy him were IMaori dogs. 



:Mr. Hamilton said that he had seen several wild dogs shot on the 

 high bush-lands at the back of Horokiwi, near Wellington, which agreed 

 very well with Mr. White's description of those shot by him in the South ; 

 but he had never considered them other than dogs escaped from domes- 

 tication, or the descendants of such. He thought that, as the pig intro- 

 duced by Europeans got plentiful, the dog, used till then as a kinaki or 

 relish to the ordinary vegetable diet of the natives, was allowed to die out 

 and eventually to disappear. 



2. " Notes on Two Birds recently shot at Napier," by A. 

 Hamilton. 



The one was a white-eyed duck (Nyroca aiistralis), shot at Te Autc ; 

 the other a good specimen of the spotted shag (Plialacrocorax punctatns), 

 shot at the Port. 



* "Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xxi., p. 79. 

 t "Trans. N.Z. Inst.," vol. xvi., p. 3G2. 



