Wellington Philosophical Society. 669 



Papers.— 1. " Observations on some peculiar Maori Ee- 

 mains, with Eemarks on the Ancient Institution of Tapu," 

 by Sir W. L. Buller. {Transactions, p. 148.) 



Sir J. Hector said that the specimen of the cranium exhibited was a 

 very interesting one, and was thicker than usual. He thought, however, 

 that the condition of the bone might be due in some measure to the 

 deposit in which it had been preserved, and he would like to know what 

 the nature of the deposit was. As to the Mallicolo skull, he was of 

 opinion that the form was entirely due to artificial compression in youth. 

 It was unlike the skulls of the flat-headed Indians, the effect there being 

 produced by pressure during infancy by a board on the head. Instead of 

 a board the Mallicolo may have used a swathe of cocoanut fibre. He had 

 examined seventeen Mallicolo skulls in a collection at Sydney, and no 

 less than seven of them presented the remarkable feature of a suture 

 down the centre of the frontal bone. He exhibited a Maori skull, col- 

 lected by himself at Parapara, in which this feature was present ; but he 

 had never met with another case among Maori skulls. No doubt 

 artificial pressure had something to do with this. 



Mr. Travers suggested that the abnormal position of the tooth in the 

 Opotiki specimen might be due to a blow at some time. 



Sir W. Buller, in reply, explained that the human remains on the 

 Papaitonga Island were merely covered with rank vegetation, and had 

 not been imbedded in any deposit. As to the frontal suture, he thought 

 that feature was quite independent of the shape of the skull. It was 

 admitted to be very rare. The Maori skull exhibiting it was a remarkably 

 well-formed one, whilst in the Mallicolo skull now before the meeting 

 there was not the slightest trace of a frontal dividing suture. He 

 believed it was still a moot point with Sir James Paget, and others who had 

 studied the subject, whether the form of the Mallicolo skull was natural 

 or artificially produced. It had been argued that if pressure had been 

 applied there would have been a bulging of the parietal bones ; but, 

 although there was practically no forehead, there was a certain amount 

 of symmetry in the skull, which was produced backwards. There were 

 several specimens in the Museum of the Royal College of Surgeons, and, 

 so far as he could remember, only one of these presented the frontal 

 suture. As to Mr. Travers's suggestion about the tooth, he thought it 

 highly probable that the abnormal growth was originally caused by a 

 blow or some other external injury. He had submitted the specimen to 

 Mr. Rawson, the dentist, who said he had never met with a similar case 

 in the whole of his experience. 



2. " A Eevision of the New Zealand Gentians," by T. 

 Kirk. {Transactions, p. 330.) 



3. " On the New Zealand Species of Gunnera, L.," by T. 

 Kirk. (Transactions, p. 341.) 



Sir James Hector said these were very valuable papers. The 

 remarks regarding the gentians were most interesting. It was hardly 

 safe, from our present knowledge, to give the exact localities where these 

 plants are to be found. He thought he had seen them in the Kaimanawa 

 Ranges as early as 1866. 



Mr. Hudson said the remarks regarding the prevailing colour of the 

 flowers being white in New Zealand were interesting. Insects seemed to 

 be attracted by these white flowers. 



Sir W. Buller asked whether Mr. Colenso had not explored the Kai- 

 manawa Ranges. 



Mr. Harding did not think this locality had been examined botanic- 

 ally. 



