— 640 Proceedings. 
# 
mined tie authority of the chiefs, without being able to establish European sth 
_ #mong them as a substitute. There appears to be no reason why the. race should ha 
decayed if it had been left alone, or only gradually assimilated to our own, and it is no 
use trying to excuse ourselves by any other natural law but that of might. 
Dr. Newman, in replying, said that he still believed the race was disappearing, and 
; that oe to bear out that fact would be found in his pap 
2. “ Fallacies in the Theory of Circular Motion,” by T. Wakelin, B. A. 
a N.Z. (Transactions, p. 184). 
8. “ On the Extinction of. the Moa,” by H. C. Field, of Wanganui. 
This was an account of the finding of moa bones in the sand-hills at 
Wanganui, and an exhibition of some of these bones, showing sharp clean 
cuts in them, which the author thought must have been made with a steel 
weapon while the bones were fresh, and therefore that the bird had lived: . 
since the arrival of the Europeans. pig 
Dr. Hector, although agreeing with the author as to the survival of moas to a com- 
paratively late date, thought that such bones might have been originally in swampy - q 
ground and soft, in which state they are easily cut with any tool like a spade or mattock, xe 4 
_ and afterwards harden on exposure and bleaching in sand. ce 
4, “On an Abnormal Growth of New Zealand Flax (Phormium oe ° 
by the Rey. Philip Walsh. (Transactions, p. 874). 
6. On a Deposit of Moa Bones, near Motanau, North Canterbury,” by 
= ia McKay, of the Geological Department. (Transactions, p. 410). 
we ‘Specimens were placed on the table, and Dr. Hector explained the locality, and stated 
: that this was probably the oldest moa deposit yet found. A skull and other bones of the 
: es extinct gigantic eagle, Harpagornis, first discovered by Dr. Haast, were also found in this 
. locality, this being the first skull secured of this interesting bird. The deposit is of early 
__ Pleistocene age, and the moa bones belonged exclusively to the species Dinornis elephan- 
yes, D. pasuartens and D. didiformis. There are also some bones of a ne 
6. €.= Becsiptions of New Shells,” by T. W. Kirk, Assistant in the 
Colonial Museum. (Transactions, p. 282). ne 
ane 7. “On some Plants new to New Zealand, and Description of a new 
: suid by John Buchanan, EF 8. (Transactions, p. 842 and 356). 
recent exploration of the Tararua ranges- _ 
oe ee | be ke expedition to the Tararua Mountains, Me. 
Buchanan, in company with Mr. H. Logan and party, had procured about 1500 live plants, 
_ which had been divided between the various domains in the wands portion also being oe 
iabcomes Many of them will be most beautiful additions to gardens. 
8 Specimens ea beehes clei ok Ge Gis Kapiti, where i 
abu nr , with — of dyes made from it were exhibited ee wa 
qe 
