342 NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



Mr. Masters exhibited a fine collection of the magnificent Orni- 

 thojitera Brookeana, from Borneo. 



Mr. Fletcher exhibited examples of the young of Pseudophryne 

 A ustralis, and mentioned some points of interest in regard to their 

 development. The ova are laid iinder stones, after rain, on the 

 margins of ponds. In about three weeks the embryos have reached 

 the condition of fully foi-med tadpoles, which can sustain a pro- 

 longed postponement of their hatching. Specimens developed from 

 ova collected more than three months ago were shown, in which 

 the embryos were seen still coiled up in their gelatinous envelopes. 

 When placed in water, a number of these tadpoles emerged within 

 the space of an hour ; a fact which explains their sudden appear- 

 ance in swarms after heavy rain in places which had been previously 

 quite dry. No traces of external gills were detected. A fuller 

 account is in coui-se of preparation. 



Mr, A. Sidney Olliff" exhibited the ColeojJtera belonging to the 

 groups Clavicornia and lihynchophora, collected by Mr. Edward 

 Whymper during his ascent of Chimborazo, Pichincha, and other 

 mountains in Ecuador. The species were mostly small and dull 

 coloured, but were of great interest on account of their having been 

 obtained at elevations varying from 1,400 to 16,000 feet. They 

 will be fully described in the Natural History Appendix to Mr. 

 Whympei*'s forthcoming work. 



Mr. E. P. Ramsay, F.R.S.E., Curator of the Australian Museum, 

 exhibited (1) a very large specimen of a sea urchin, Tripneustes 

 angulosus, from the New South Wales Coast. (2) An Albino 

 Tui or " Parson-bird " from New Zealand Prosthemadera Novm- 

 Zelandim, and (3), an Albino Ground Parrot, Psephofus hcema- 

 lonotns, which latter bird had been pi-esented to the Museum by 

 Mr. McCooey of Dubbo. This bird was obtained near Warren. 



Mr. Ramsay also read a letter from Sir Richard Owen respecting 

 a new species of Thylacoleo, the bones of which had been recently 

 discovered in the Wellington Caves. 



Mr. Macleay exhibited four immature specimens of Holostoma 

 alatum, the Distoma alatum of Rudolphi, from a very young 

 puppy. He said that this is believed to be the only Trematode 



