- Proceedings. 
ms wem S nne he was quite in accord with the president, and would suggest that the 
in the Native ee Courts should be carefully preserved, on account 
of the historical information they co 
he Hon. Captain Fraser said Sh nm the decay of the Maori people was by no 
means so rapid as was generally supposed. He also demurred to some of Dr. Newman’s 
ceca and that gentleman immediately replie 
said in general reply, that his conclusions were not based on the evidence 
of any isde locality, but were drawn from a pretty extensive mina of the various 
e far north 
o, Rotorua, Taupo, Wanganui, etc.—all told the same melancholy tale. These 
districts were populous when he first knew them, and now the natives might be counted by 
dozens where formerly there were hundreds. As to Maori census returns, they were mere 
approximations and very often misleading, as he could state from personal experience. 
He was much struck with the rapid mortality as disclosed also by native titles; and he 
mentioned several instances within his own professional knowledge, where, in a Ser sy 
of title containing from 50 to 100 names, from 10 to 15 per cent. had 
incredibly short space of time. Amalgamation of races had been talked of, but this would 
not save the Maoris. The a were RIT a a a gems but he 
had noticed that when they married b o stamina 
and seldom reached maturity He quite agreed with Dr. Hector aial the vai of the 
nd Court evidence if carefully arranged sad collated. He had succeeded once in 
Judges, asking them to hand over their note-books for public record, but he had never 
heard the result. For his own part, for twenty years past he had been carefully preserving 
everything of the kind. 
First MEETING. 9th July, 1884. 
Dr. Buller, President, in the chair. 
New Member.—$. Kohn. 
1. “On Changes in the Hataitai Valley," by J. C. Crawford. (Trans- 
ae p. 942.) 
2. “ On Water-worn Pebbles found in the soil in the Hataitai Valley 
and ees in that locality," by J. C. Crawford. (Transactions, p. 841.) 
“ On the Punui of Stewart Island, Aralia lyallii, n. s.,” by T. Kirk, 
F. i 8. (Transactions, p. 293.) 
4. “On a Deposit of Ironstone at Kawakawa, Bay of Islands,” by A. 
uu 
5. “ On Variation in Plumage of some New Zealand Birds," by T. W. 
Kirk. (Transactions, p. 60. 
6. “ Notice of the Eastern Golden Plover Charadrius fulvus, near 
Wellington," by T. W. Kirk. (Transactions, p. 59.) 
7. “ Description of a new Species of Paper Nautilus, Argonauta gracilis," 
by T. W. Kirk. (Transactions, p. 58.) 
