550 Proceedings. 



The exhibits were explained by Sir James Hector, who mentioned 

 that the Government very kindly gave Mr. Yuill a passage by the 

 " Hinemoa." Although the steamer's movements were hampered by 

 other engagements, Mr. Yuill had been able to make what was on the 

 whole a very valuable and important collection, selections from whioh 

 •were before the society that evening. A few of the specimens on the 

 table were obtained on a previous voyage, but all of them had been 

 prepared by him, and they were really examples of the most wonderful 

 and tasteful taxidermist's work which he (Sir James) had ever seen. In 

 his detailed references to the exhibits Sir James said that they included 

 almost a complete set of all the known species of penguin that had yet 

 been found in the New Zealand area, which included the outlying 



islands. _ 



The selections of sketches from the portfolio of Mr. H. G. Lloyd 



were much admired. 



Note.— Great spider-crab (Paramicippa grandis), n.s. : This genus 

 was founded by Professor Milne-Edwards in 1834 (Hist. Nat. Crust., 

 i., p. 332). One species is mentioned by Miers (Cat. N.Z. Crust., 1876) 

 as P. spinosa, but is of small size (| in. in length), and differs in the 

 form of the carapace and rostrum. This species has been figured by 

 Dr. Filhol in the " Zoology of the Campbell Islands " under the name 

 of Prionorhynchus edivardsii. The following notes refer to the largest 

 specimen out of twenty obtained in Carnley Harbour, Auckland Island : 

 Carapace tumid, with strong median lobe and bold posterior tubercle ; 

 surface minutely tuberculate, four blunt tubercles, four lateral spines 

 on anterior margin. Dimensions: Carapace, 10 in. long, 11 in. wide. 

 Legs, prehensile, length 18 in. : ambulatory, I., 15 in.; II., 13 in. ; III., 

 11 in. ; IV., 9 in. Forceps, 4 in., meet only at point. Male — Telson,4in. 

 Antennae, minute. 



Second Meeting: 24th July, 1900. 

 Mr. G. V. Hudson, President, in the chair. 



New Members.— Messrs. H. J. Babbage, Wanganui ; 

 H. H. Travers, Wellington; and J. H. Lewis, Otago. 



Paper. — " On the Chemistry of the New Zealand Flora : 

 Part I., the Tutu Plant," by Professor Easterfield and 

 Mr. B. C. Aston ; illustrated by lantern-slides. {Transac- 

 tions, p. 345.) 



Sir James Hector proposed a vote of thanks to Professor Easterfield 

 for his admirable and instructive paper. He hoped we should have many 

 more from the same source. He himself cited instances showing the 

 strength of the tutu poison. While most poisons had no effect on pachy- 

 derms, tutin was equally deadly on all animals, even an elephant having 

 died through an overdose, the skeleton being now in the Museum. 



Mr. Hustwick, in seconding the vote, which was carried, said he had 

 listened with great pleasure to the paper. It required great patience and 

 care to work out a subject of this nature. 



Mr. H. Travers said that at the Chatham Islands the natives drank 

 the juice of this plant, and, indeed, made wine of it. 



Mr. Harding said the juice was drunk by the old Maoris— the seed 

 was the poison. 



Mr. Tregear exhibited some curios from the islands, and 



