128 Proceedings. 



Section Psendo-cyperce, Tiickerra. 

 C. vacillans, Soland. 

 C. Forsteri, Walileub. 



Var. /3 Gockayniana, Kiikenth. 

 C. pseudo-cyperus, L. 



Var. 7 fascicularis (Soland.), Boott. 



Section Paludosm, Fi-ies. 

 C. trifidn, Cav. 

 C. pumila, Thimb. L. C. 



2. Osteology of Antarctic Seals, by Robert B. Thomson (Trans. Roy. 

 Soc. Edinburgh, vol. xlvii, 1909). 



Four seals are endemic to the shores of the Antarctic Continent, of which one, the 

 sea-leopard {Stenorhynchiis leptonyx) occasionally visits the shores of New Zealand. 

 In this contribution, however, Mr. Thomson deals only with Ross's seal {Ommatophoca 

 rossi), the osteology of which is given in detail, so that it is impossible to summarise the 

 paper. Two points, however, may be referred to : he was able to examine a considerable 

 number of specimens of each of these four species in order to establisli their dentition, 

 with the result that he fuids these antarctic seals to have the formula 2, 1, 5 above and 

 below, which contrasts with the typical Phoca of the Northern Hemisphere, in which 

 there are three incisors on each side of each jaw. Again, the vertebral formula of the 

 Phocidce, as a whole. a])pears to be constantly C. 7, T. 14, L. 5, S. 3, C. 10-12. 



The paper is illustrated with photographs of the skull of Ross's seal. 



W. B. B. 



3. Note on a Species of Hydra new to New Zealand, by Professor 

 W. B. Benham, D.Sc, F.R.S., Otago University. 



During a recent visit to Shag Valley Station, near Palmerston, my host, Mr. A. D. 

 Bell, mentioned that he had frequently found a species of Hydra in a pool in his 

 grounds. 



On examining the tips of the roots of trees and other plants which push their way 

 into the water round the sides of the pool I found specimens of this little animal, which 

 differ in several respects from the small pale-brown species which is to be met with in 

 the pond in Woodhaugh Garden, and in some streams round Dunedin. 



The present species is of a rich reddish-brown, almost mahogany colour, though 

 some are rather of a sienna tint — the colour, of course, being in the endoderm. 



In size they greatly exceed the common species, one individual measuring about 

 fin. (15mm. in alcohol), excluding the tentacles. The tentacles are few in number. 

 5—7 in the individuals examined. 



The specimens were budding freely, one having as many as three buds of different 

 ages. 



Till they have been examined microscopically, and till I have searched the recent 

 literature, it is impossible to say whether this species is new to science, though it is cer- 

 tainly new to New Zealand. 



The only records of the occurrence of Hydra in the Dominion are by the late Dr. 

 (Joughtrey. In the Transactions for 1875* he writes (p. 299), "I have seen two Hydrm 

 in New Zealand — one nearly like H. viridis. of Britain, and the other I have not been able 

 to identify with the British members of the Gymnochroa." 



In the version of the same paper published in the " Annals and Magazine of Natural 

 History " for 1876 f he writes (p. 24), '' I discovered a pretty fresh-water Hydra in some 

 pond-water, attached to one of tlie leaves of the ]jlant Natella vera " [,s*c, ]n-obably Nitella 

 Hookeri]. This Hydra in general foim is like //. viridis, Linn., in colour pale brown, 

 and has 7 tentacles, which are peculiar in this respect, that they are distinctly annulated. 

 and each ring is fringed." 



It is clear, I think, that this refers to the first of the species mentioned in his former 

 article, and probably it is the one that I have found round Dunedin. The " annula- 

 tion " of the tentacles is due to the arrangement of the batteries of nematocysts. and is 

 not peculiar to the species. What he means by the " fringing " I do not know, and will 

 not hazard a guess. 



* Ck)Ughtroy : " Critical Notes on New Zealand Hydroidu." Trans. N.Z. Inst., 1875, vol. viii, p. 298. 

 tCoughtrev: "Critical Notes on New Zealand Hj/rfro/r/rr, Suborder TAecapAow." Ann. Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. (4), xvii. \i. 22. _ _ L. 



