Iviii PROCEEDINGS, OCTOBER. 



Professor Liversidge, of the Sydney University, who sent a telegram ta 

 the British Association then sitting at Montreal, and Mr. Caldwell, on 

 his return to Sydney, shortly afterwards exhibited several examples in 

 different stages of development, from the egg just hatched to the egg, 

 found upon dissecting the animal, ready to be laid. A great number of 

 people were still under the impression that these animals were 

 viviparous. In a book by Arthur NichoUs, entitled " Zoological Notes," 

 published in London in 1883, the writer refers to the ignorance of the 

 natives of Australasia and their statements that both the porcupine and 

 the platypus laid eggs. The writer of this bookwent on to say that he had 

 found, in dissecting the animals, the young of the platypus in the uterus. 

 Though the two animals existed in this colony he could not find any 

 record placing officially before the scientific world and the general public 

 the fact that the eggs had been found here. Last month he had received 

 a letter from Mr. Fletcher, who lived in the Campbell Town district, 

 stating that while riding in that district, his horse had put his foot into 

 a hole. Upon putting his hand into the hole he found a porcupine, 

 which he lifted out, and an egg dropped from the animal as he lifted it 

 breaking in its fall, exhibiting an embryo animal. Mr. Fletcher had 

 very generously presented this specimen, comprising the broken shell 

 and the animal to the Museum, which he (Mr. Morton) was very proud 

 to get as an interesting record, which further established the facts 

 discovered by Mr. Caldwell. The paper was mostly a technical descrip- 

 tion of the egg and the anatomy of the animal, agreeing with Mr. Cald- 

 well's description. The egg was about three-quarters of an inch long. 



Mr. A. J. Tayloe, said he had listened with pleasure to the remarks 

 which had fallen from Mr. Morton, as they were of the highest scientific 

 interest. He pointed out that in 1849 Dr. Milligan had reported that 

 the natives said echidna laid eggs, so it was clear that before accusing 

 the natives of ignorance, writers should know more of the subject. 

 The statement Mr. Morton had been enabled to make was one he ought 

 to be very proud indeed of. 



Mr. E. M. Johnston congratulated the Soceity upon the paper and 

 the specimen, which was of the highest value to the scientific world. It 

 would corroborate the investigations of Mr. Caldwell, so ably carried 

 out in these colonies, and Mr. Morton was to be congratulated on this 

 important addition to the demonstration of the true mode in. which the 

 echidna brought forth its young. It was not a discovery on the part of 

 Caldwell so much as a scientific demonstration, as statements had been 

 made on both sides, but there was no evidence before the scientific 

 world. Mr. Caldwell had solved, the doubt, and any addition to the 

 proof would be a satisfaction to that gentleman, as well as to all others 

 interested in science. 



THE WHITE HAWK. 



Mr. Morton stated that Mr. Arthur Brent, an enthusiastic collector 

 of birds eggs, had infonned him of the discovery of a nest and eggs of 

 the common white hawk, Astur novce-hoUandice, generally known as the 

 Goshawk. The nest, formed of small twigs, lined with the leaves 

 of the peppermint tree, was discovered in a stringybark tree, 60 or 70 

 teet from the ground, in a gully near Austin's Ferry. It contained two 

 eggs of a blotchy colour, though they were of a bluish colour inside 

 when blown, and something like the Allied Harrier. So far as he knew 

 the eggs of this bird had not been found here before, and he promised 

 to take the measurement and description and give the particulars at the 

 next meeting. 



Mr. Swan said he had never heard of the eggs having been found 

 before, but Mr. Bethune, of Dunrobin, had found a nest with the young 

 birds in it. 



