192 
NATURE 
| Fan. 5, 1871 

highly organised animals, indeed I am not aware of any 
similar instance among birds. 
Besides the birds above-mentioned, the Gardens con- 
tain the only examples ever received in Europe of the Kaka 
Parrot (Nestor hypopolius), another form of bird-life re- 
stricted to the forests of New Zealand. 
I must now say a few words about the Reptilian life of 
New Zealand. As regards this branch of the animal king- 
dom, the Zoological Society’s Gardens cannot be said to be 
very well supplied; at the same time we have now in 
them a living example of what is certainly the rarest 
and most singular species of the reptilian class that in- 
habits these islands. This isthe Tuatera Lizard (Spheno- 
don punctatum), of which I have already given a notice in 
a former article in this journal.* Dr. Ginther will, I hope, 
forgive me for calling it a lizard, for in spite of his elabo- 
rate proof that it is utterly different from every other 
known form of the Lacertian order, I cannot quite agree 
with him that it is entitled to form an order of itself. 
As regards the general character of the reptilian fauna 
of New Zealand, after mentioning the Tuatera, there is not 
much to be said. There are, I believe, no representatives 
of the orders of Tortoises, Crocodilians, or Ophidians 
to be met with in these islands. Besides the Sphenodon, 
the only other reptiles indigenous to New Zealand are 
about half-a-dozen small lizards belonging to the families 
Scincide and Geccotide. Some of these are of Australian 
character, the remainder are peculiar to New Zealand. 
Of the class of Batrachians, only one member is known 
to exist in New Zealand—a frog (Letofelma hochstetter?), 
not found elsewhere. 
Fresh-water Fishes, which must also be taken into 
account when estimating the peculiarities of a land-fauna, 
are likewise not very abundant in New Zealand. Two 
forms, however, deserve special notice, as indicating a 
former land connection at however remote an epoch, 
between Australia and South America passing through 
these islands. These are Protrotoctes,+ belonging to a 
group representative of the Salmonoids of the northern 
hemisphere, and Ga/axias, belonging to a family allied 
to the Pikes (Esocidz) which is likewise found in the 
rivers of Australia and Antarctic America. Nearly allied 
to Galaxias is a very curious formi, recently described by 
Dr. Giinther under the name Weochanna apoda,{ but re- 
markable for the absence of ventral fins, and its mud- 
loving habits. This fish is restricted to New Zealand. 
The peculiarities of the fauna of New Zealand, so far 
as is shown by its terrestrial vertebrated animals, may 
therefore be summed up somewhat as follows :— 
1. The absence of all Mammals, except two species of 
Bats. 
2. The presence of numerous forms of Bird-life not 
known elsewhere, such as Heteralocha, Nestor, Strigops, 
Apteryx, and Anarhynchus. 
3. The absence of Reptiles, except two genera of lizards 
and the Sphenodon punctatum, which, according to some of 
the best authorities, has claims to constitute an order of 
reptiles fer se. 
4. The absence of Batrachians, except one species of 
frog not known elsewhere. 
5. The paucity of fresh-water Fishes—few genera only 
being known—which are allied partly to Australian and 
partly to Antarctic American forms. 
But before closing our summary, it must not be for- 
gotten to be mentioned that almost within the historical 
period New Zealand was tenanted by upwards of a dozen 
species of Struthious birds, constituting a family Zer se, but 
allied to the Cassowaries and Emus of Australia and the 
Papuan Islands. We must therefore add as a sixth item: 
. The recent presence of a peculiar family of gigantic 
Struthious Birds, now extinct—the Dinornithidae—re- 
stricted to New Zealand. P. L. SCLATER 
* See NaturgE, vol. ii. p. 148 
+ Cf. Giinther, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1870, p. 152. 
t See Ann, Nat. Hist. ser. 3, vol. xx. p. 305. 

NOTES 
In other columns will be found the reports which have reached 
us up to the present time from the different sections of the Eclipse 
Expedition. Notwithstanding the unpropitious weather at nearly 
all the stations, we trust that some observations have been made 
which will throw light on still unsolved problems of Solar 
Physics. It is with great satisfaction that all English astro- 
nomers will hear that M. Janssen performed his perilous balloon 
voyage in safety, and reached his destination in Algeria ; although 
he does not appear to have been rewarded with the opportunity 
of taking any satisfactory observations. 
THE Fournal of Botany states that the post of Curator of the 
Botanic Gardens, Calcutta, vacated by the death of Dr. Ander- 
son, has been given to Dr. King, who has done some work in 
Indian botany, but is comparatively unknown in English botani- 
cal circles. This is the best-paid botanical appointment in Eng- 
land or any of its dependencies. 
Tue following are announced as the probable arrangements 
for the Friday evening meetings at the Royal Institution before 
Easter, 1871, to which members and their friends only are ad- 
mitted :—Friday, January 20th, Professor Tyndall, LL.D. F. RS. ; 
Friday, January 27th, Professor Odling, F.R.S. ; Friday, February 
3rd, W. Spottiswoode, Treasurer R. S.—Some experiments on 
Successive Polarization of Light made by Sir C. Wheatstone ; 
Friday, February roth, E. J. Reed, C.B.—On Some Fallacies 
connected with Ships and Guns ; Friday, February 17th, James 
N. Douglas, Engineer to the Trinity House—On the Wolf- 
Rock Lighthouse ; Friday, February 24th, Dr. W. B. Carpenter, 
F.R.S. &c.—The latest Scientific Researches in the Mediter- 
ranean and Straits of Gibraltar ; Friday, March 3rd, Capt. Noble, 
F.R.S.—On the Pressure of Fired Gunpowder ; Friday, March 
roth, W. Mattieu Williams—On Rumford’s Scientifie Dis- 
coveries ; Friday, March 17th, J. Norman Lockyer, Esq., F.R.S. 
—On the Eclipse ; Friday, March 24th, Professor J. Clerk Max- 
well, M.A., F.R.S.—On Colour ; Friday, March 31st, Professor 
Max Miiller, LL.D.—On Solar Myths. 
Tue following gentlemen have obtained a first class in Natural 
Science at Oxford at the last examination :—C. Childs, Scholar 
of Merton, F. H. Champneys, Brazenose, F. W. Fison, Scholar 
of Christ Church, S. J. Sharkey, Scholar of Jesus. 
TuHE Natural Science Scholarship at Merton College, Oxford, 
has been awarded to Mr. Richmond of the Manchester Grammar 
School, and an Exhibition to Mr. Ferguson of the same school. 
Pror. AGAssizZ announces that the Museum of Comparative 
Zoology at Harvard College, Cambridge, U.S., is prepared to 
furnish extensive collections of all the rocks and loose deposits 
found upon and about the Key and reefs of Florida ; also com- 
plete collections of the Corals in fresh and well-preserved speci- 
mens, in exchange for recent and fossil corals from other parts of 
the world. 
THE Fall Mall Gazette states that a committee has been ap- 
pointed, with Captain Beaumont, R.E., M.P., as president, and 
Lieutenant Grove, R.E., and Mr. Abel, F,R.S., as members, to 
carry out experiments on the utilisation of balloons for recon- 
noitring purposes. The former experiments on this subject, 
which were carried out at Woolwich and elsewhere a few years 
ago, were not attended with any useful results, and we believe 
the attempts which have been made during the present war to 
reconnoitre with balloons—an application not to be confused 
with the use of balloons for postal purposes—have not been more 
satisfactory. But the Americans on several occasions employed 
balloons to reconnoitre with fair success, and Captain Beaumont’s 
committee may be able to throw some new light upona subject 
which it certainly seems worth while to work out. 
ee fe 
