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Haast.—On the Early History of the Canterbury Museum. 505 
minerals, of which some were of great rarity and beauty. On 12th August 
of the same year (1862) the cast of the skeleton of Palapterya ingens arrived 
from Europe, which I also presented to the Museum. It was constructed 
and purchased from Dr. Jaeger, of Vienna, an eminent German paleon- 
tologist, from bones dug out in a cave in Nelson. 
Although we possessed at that time already a small number of moa 
bones, mostly collected in Nelson, we were then greatly rejoiced at obtaining 
this cast, and we little dreamt that a few years later the Canterbury Museum 
would be able to boast of possessing a collection of moa skeletons unrivalled 
by any other museum. I also remember, when I visited about that time 
Mr. E. F. Gray, at Avon-head, and after much persuasion, in which I was 
assisted by the Rev. Canon Wilson, he gave me some leg bones of Dinornis 
maximus, that I felt very proud of their possession, and thought that we had 
obtained a real treasure. 
Besides the geological specimens obtained during my journeys, a large 
herbarium and a number of bird-skins and invertebrates were collected, so 
that a fair beginning was made. 
I find in looking over my notes that the first presentation to the Museum 
was made by Mr. C. J. Tripp, of a Nestor notabilis, in August, 1861. The 
next two of which I can find a record are a bird-skin (a shining cuckoo) by 
-C. Dunnage, and a polished stone implement found under the root of a 
large tree in Wellington, presented by our member Mr. George Hart, then 
living in Wellington. 
The first exchange was made with Mr. W. L. Buller, on 28th J uly, 1862, 
of a kea (Nestor notabilis), of which I had obtained a series during my 
journey to the Mount Cook region, for the skin of a Mantell’s kiwi (Aptery 
mantelli). In the session of the Provincial Council in 1863, the attempt was 
made to obtain a vote for the building of a museum, but without success. 
Tthen made an arrangement with the Provincial Government to give up 
the two rooms hitherto occupied, if the funds necessary for the fittings of a 
Museum could be obtained. The Provincial Couneil voting £300 for the 
Purpose, I vacated my offices for those formerly oceupied by the Commis- 
Sioner of Police. 
‘Mr. R. L. Holmes, the Meteorological Registrar of the Province, was at 
a _ en appointed clerk to the Museum, and all my spare time was devoted 
