80 Transactions. — Miscellaneoits. 



a schist which is a not uncommon rock in New Zealand. At 

 the first glance we are struck not only by the peculiar form but 

 also by the mode of manufacture, as it has been rubbed down 

 in the same maimer, and has thus the same somewhat flaky 

 appearance, as the Chatham Islands weapons. What dis- 

 tinguishes it from the form of the mere are the prominent points 

 above the handle, so that in this respect it resembles the 

 weapon No. 3 from the Chatham Islands. Similar prominences 

 also occur below the handle. Here a hole has been bored for 

 the passing of a wrist-fastener. However, the whole weapon is 

 very imperfect as to form and workmanship, and may also date 

 back to a time when the manufacture of these weapons was in 

 its infancy. The following are the dimensions of this remark- 

 able stone weapon : Total length, 14i inches ; greatest breadth, 

 3i iuches ; at prominent points above handle, 3^ inches ; 

 greatest thickness, 1J inches. 



Until further specimens of the same material and form are 

 found of these remarkable New Zealand stone weapons, it would 

 be premature to speculate upon the affinities between them and 

 the stone weapons of the Morioris ; but it seems evident to me 

 that they date back to a time anterior to the discovery of 

 nephrite at the West Coast, and its subsequent use in the manu- 

 facture of meres, which must have supplanted the inferior 

 material used till that time. 



Art. III. — Notes on the Difference in Food Plants now used by 

 Civilized Man as compared with those used in Prehistoric Times. 



By W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. 

 [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 29th July, 1885.] 



There has been a good deal of learned discussion as to whether 

 man was originally destined for a vegetarian or not, but how- 

 ever interesting this question may be in connection with his 

 descent, it is one of no importance now in relation to his food, 

 because his existing structure not only enables, but practically 

 requires, him to extend his choice, in that respect, to the animal 

 as well as to the vegetable kingdom. And he can, as a rule, do 

 this with especial advantage, for by using a mixed diet he not 

 only economises physiological labour, but also saves his excre- 

 tory organs from a large amount of profitless work which would 

 otherwise be thrown upon them. 



But although a choice of food is thus given to him, the vary- 

 ing circumstances under which he exists on earth, determine, to 

 a considerable extent, the direction in which that choice should 

 be made. Within the tropics, for example, where any large 

 consumption of flesh food would inevitably produce injurious; 



