PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 117 
Nelson Province. Of Mammals imported by the Societies, the following 
are the chief;—The Red, Fallow, Sambur and Californian Deer, Angora 
Goat, Hare, Kangaroos, Wallabees, and Opossums. A consignment from 
England of thirty-three Fallow Deer was lately made by Mr. Larkworthy, 
and of twenty-eight which arrived in safety eighteen were turned out in the 
Waikato and ten in the Wanganui district. On the bills in the neigh- 
bourhood of Nelson large herds of wild Red Deer are reported to have been 
seen. Fallow Deer set free near Richmond have increased. Hares have 
increased almost too rapidly, and one particular feature is their fecundity 
in New Zealand, for the female brings forth six and seven at a birth. 
Already southern farmers complain of the Hares being too numerous, and 
Coursing Clubs meet bi-weekly during the season. Thus, from a former 
paucity of mammulian life in New Zealand, there is now a tendency to the 
contrary, and possibly in a few years its fauna will have approximated to 
that of the mother country.* 
February 5.—Witi1am Carruruers, F.R.S., Vice-President, in the 
chair. 
Dr. Francis Day exhibited examples of Salmonide, some of which had 
been reared under natural and others under unnatural conditions. A Salmo 
fontinalis which had passed its existence in the Westminster Aquarium 
had the head preternaturally elongated with a very narrow suboperculum ; 
thus showing a great contrast to examples reared in Cardiganshire from 
the same batch of imported eggs. He also exhibited a very slender young 
Salmon, reared by Mr. F. Buckland in the Horticultural Gardens, where, 
of course, its instinctive migration to the sea had been prevented. 
Mr. A. Hammond showed under the microscope a larva of Tanypus 
maculatus. He mentioned that the coronet and appendages of the thoracic 
and anal regions had been said to be homologous with the respiratory 
organs of the larva and pupa of gnats, &c. This he doubted, inasmuch as 
the former originated from the ventral, and not from the dorsal, surface, 
as did the latter, and no trachew of any size could be discerned. He 
also stated his opinion that the two oval bodies in the thorax of the larva, 
Which De Geer considered as reservoirs of air, were probably salivary 
glands similar to those he (Mr. Hammond) had previously observed in the 
larva of the crane-fly. 
The Secretary then read a communication by H. M. Brewer, Hon. Sec. 
Wanganui Acclim. Soc. New Zealand, “On the Salmonide and other Fish 
introduced into New Zealand Waters.”—J. Murie. 
* We cannot too strongly reprobate the practice, which seems to be gaining 
ground, of introducing into the colonies animals whieh will eventually cause the 
extermination of many remarkable indigenous forms, and which lead to much 
confusion in zoo-geographical science.—Ep. 
