Wellington Philosophical Society. 535 
3. “Note on a curious Duplication of Tusks in the common wild Pig 
(Sus scrofa)," by A. Hamilton. 
My attention was drawn the other day to a curious jaw, with double 
tusks, of a pig that had been killed at the Waipapa Creek, near Mohaka. 
As will be seen by the accompanying sketch the development has not been 
symmetrieal, the two tusks on the left side being of normal shape, and 
measuring from tip to insertion, three inches, and total length seven and 
three-quarter inches. 
On the right side the lower tusk is only two inches from point to 
insertion, but the basal portion has been displaced and turned inwards by a 
most peculiarly shaped tusk, which turns inwards and upwards till the 
point is as far as the central line of jaw. The end has been worn down to 
the shape of a finger nail by the roof of the mouth, and, judging by the 
rounded surface of the incision, the animal must have been unable to close 
its mouth properly. 
Unfortunately the upper jaw was not preserved; it must have been 
curious, as the lower molars are very irregular and worn entirely on the 
inner side. 
There is a small supplementary tooth under the second incisor on the 
right side. 
Dr. Newman thought more notice should be taken of such monstrosities. Evolution 
taught us that such monstrosities were nearly all reversions to some old type, showed the 
ancestry of the animal, e.g., children who breathed through their necks, branchial elefts, 
like Ane amphibious ancestors. Everyone at a certain time of life had two sets of 
teeth in his or her jaw, and one specimen in the Hunterian museum had three sets. 
p odd, useless structure had never been explained, viz., the corn on the inside of a 
horse's forelegs 
Mr. T. Kirk pointed out that the monstrosity described by Mr. Hamilton was an 
instance of duplication combined with distortion, and could hardly be explained by the 
supposition that it was an instance of reversion to a remote ancestral type—a theory 
which was now being pushed to extreme lengths. 
4. “On the Export of Fungus from New Zealand," by T. Kirk, F.L.S. 
(Transactions, p. 454.) 
. “Description of a new Species of Lycopodium,” by T. Kirk, F.L.8. 
(Transactions, p. 456.) 
6. “ Description of a new Species of Hymenophyllum,” by T. Kirk, F.L.S. 
(Transactions, p. 457.) 
Specimens illustrating these papers were exhibited. 
7. * Note on Mr. Howard Saunders’ Review of the Larine or G 
by W. L. Buller, C.M.G. (Transactions, p. 859.) 
8. * Notes on a new Species of Pomaderris po tainui)," by Dr. Hector. 
(Transactions, p. 428.) 
