78 Transactions. — Zoology. 



distal ends of the branches would represent extinct forms. But 

 such a model would be far less convenient than the one I have 

 adopted. 



In spite of these and other obvious objections in detail, I 

 think the model may be considered as showing, fairly accurately, 

 the main facts of zoological classification. For instance, it 

 illustrates the impossibility of making a linear classification 

 of animals : it shows the futility of discussing whether molluscs 

 are " higher" or "lower" than arthropods, both being shown to 

 have arisen from comparatively low worm ancestors, and to 

 have reached a high level of organization along totally different 

 lines : it shows how, by degeneration, Amphioxus, although a 

 vertebrate, has sunk below the level of organization of many 

 invertebrates, and is as much below an ordinary fish as a fish is 

 below a man : it further illustrates the now established fact, 

 that while the two lowest groups of gnathostomatous verte- 

 brates — fishes, and amphibia — lie, speaking generally, in a 

 linear series, the higher groups diverge in two opposite direc- 

 tions, birds springing undoubtedly from reptiles, mammals 

 either from archaic reptiles or from some unknown group inter- 

 mediate between reptiles and amphibia. 



One advantage of the model I must not fail to mention : its 

 construction is simple enough to allow of comparatively easy 

 alteration in the place of origin or direction of the branches, 

 whenever the progress of zoology necessitates a change in our 

 view of the relations of any group. 



Art. X. — Notes on a Skeleton of Notornis, recently acquired by 

 the Otago University Museum. 



By T. Jeffery Parker, B.Sc, C.M.Z.S. 



[Read before the Otago Institute, 11th August, 1885.] 



Some months since I was informed by Mr. Edward Melland that 

 the skeleton of a Takahe had been found on his station, near 

 Lake Te Anau, by Mr. Richard Henry, who, having a strong 

 taste for natural history, had recognised the bones and carefully 

 collected them. 



The specimens were forwarded to Dunedin, and Mr. Melland 

 was good enough to bring them to the Museum for my inspec- 

 tion. As the more important bones were present, and in very 

 good preservation, I was glad to be able to purchase them, and 

 thus to make a very important addition to the collection of 

 native birds. 



As is well known, the only recent remains of Notornis 

 hitherto obtained are the two stuffed specimens in the British 



