48 



O'Brien's Bridge, and mentioned some of the conclusions arrived at 

 during a recent examination of the interesting phenomena connected 

 therewith. The subject would afford good material for a future paper. 



Discussion followed in which various opinions were expressed upon 

 the original cause of the landslip. 



A letter from Colonel Crawford (of Castra) was read in reference to 

 two parcels of seed from India, sent for planting',in the Society's Gardens, 

 One, tlie " Raggee " (Eleusina coracana) was extremely productive, and 

 a staple article of food for the poorer classes in India, in the hilly and 

 wilder districts, and Colonel Crawford thinks it might be very valuable 

 for forage in the form of green stuff or hay. 



The other ** Coltee " {DoUckos nn'iflora) was a sort of bean which fur- 

 nishes the ordinary grain ration of horses in Southern India. It does 

 very well in Victoria, where it is specially valued for its yield of green 

 fodder. 



A letter was read from Mr. Davis, Ark Inn, above New Norfolk, giving 

 a description of some very large fish, thirty or forty in number, which 

 had recently been seen on several occasions, and on each occasion higher 

 up the stream. The general behef was that they were salmon on their 

 way to spawn. 



The Chairman read the following extract from a letter written by a 

 lady in New Zealand : — 



" Sometimes the surf rolling upon the beach after a storm is magnifi- 

 cent. About ten days ago two gentlemen were riding along the beach, 

 when they came upon a huge monster cuttle-fish, which was rolling 

 about in the surf quite dead, haWng been washed up by the storm. 

 It was so large they could not possibly drag it up on the beach. They 

 said it must have weighed six hundred weight at least. It had eight 

 feelers or arms, one of which was fourteen feet, the others eleven feet 

 long. They could not turn it over to see its eyes, but they must have 

 been terrific. I think it must have been carried out to sea again, for 

 only some small portions of its arms are to be seen now (on the beach)." 



[The beach referred to is on the east coast of the North Island, about 

 80 or 100 miles north of Cape Palliser.] 



Dr. Agnew had been informed by one of the whaling captains out 

 of this port that these creatures are the principal food of the sperm whale, 

 which, when severely wounded, frequently throws up large quantities of 

 them. The whale appears to eat little more than the body of the cuttle- 

 fish, the greater portion of the arms being left untouched. These float 

 on the surface of the water, and when seen indicate that sperm whales 

 are in the vicinity. Cuttle-fish (inclusive of the arms) twenty and thirty 

 feet long are frequently seen, but they are reported to have been ob- 

 served at least double this size, especially in the Japan Seas, which are 

 therefore favourite " feeding grounds " of the whale. Dr. Agnew further 

 remarked it would be of great interest to have accurate measurements 

 made of some of these horrible monsters, and that Captain McArthur 

 had promised he would endeavour to accomplish it. 



Mr. J. Swan introduced a subject of great practical interest — the 

 economic growth of Angora Wool. In doing so he exhibited a series of 

 fleeces ; the first from a cross between a pure Angora ram and the 

 common goat. This was gradually improved by the same ram until 

 the fourth cross, and the fleece of each cross was brought under the 

 notice of the meeting. Tew objects could be of greater interest than 

 these fleeces, the last, especially, affording a long silky staple of almost 

 pure Angora wool, valued at not less than four shillings and sixpence 

 per pound. Other fleeces were also brought forward which exhibited 

 several peculiarities— the results of cross breeding — but in all, the gradual 

 disappearance of the hair of the goat, and the gradual substitution for 



