Benham. — On m Moo's Ey</. 149 



Thus it appears that, whereas the northern lampreys of the 

 genus Pctromyzon undergo only one metamorphosis — namely, 

 from the Ammoccetes to the adult — the southern form (Geotria) 

 undergoes two well-marked changes, from the Ammocoetes to 

 the Velasia, and then from the Velasia to the adult, which 

 latter represents a further stage in development never reached 

 by the northern forms. 



Art. XI. — Note on an Entire Egg of a Moa, noio in the 

 Museum of the University of Otago. 



By W. B. Benham, D.Sc, M.A., F.Z.S., University of 



Otago. 



[Read before the Otago Institute, 11th June, 1901.] 



Plate VII. 



Fragments of moa eggshell and more or less complete eggs 

 have long been known, but the acquisition of an absolutely 

 uninjured egg is of some interest, both on its own account 

 and on account of the manner in which it was obtained. 

 As far as I am aware, no entire egg is on exhibition in any 

 museum. The specimen obtained at Kaikoura was injured by 

 the pick in excavation. 



The egg which forms the subject of this note was secured 

 by a dredge-hand on the Earnscleugh gold-dredge, working 

 on the Biver Molyneux, Otago. 



The bank of the river is composed of very fine river-silt, 

 and was formerly cultivated as a farm. It is so fine that 

 when dug and dried it soon becomes reduced to fine powder, 

 and is blown away in impalpable dust. The river, especially 

 Avhen in flood, scours the bank considerably, and it was after 

 such a scouring, and when, fortunately, the dredge was not 

 actually at work, that the egg was set free from the silt, and, 

 floating in the river, drifted into the " well " between the two 

 pontoons of the dredge. Luckily it was observed floating 

 here and secured by one of the men, who also noted the 

 hollow in the bank left by its removal, at about 14 ft. below 

 the surface of the ground. 



The egg was acquired for the Otago Museum through the 

 kind services of Mr. Alexander Black, of Dunedin, who ob- 

 tained it from the dredge-hand for £50, towards which Mr. 

 Black himself and the Otago Institute contributed £5 each, 

 while the balance was paid by the University. 



