*92 • Proceedings. 



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with only one shoal, was earned to within a few hundred miles of our coast, 

 when the soundings rather suddenly decreased from 15,000 to 4000 feet. This 

 submarine precipice lies about 300 miles from land opposite Cape Farewell, 

 but there is reason to believe that further south it approaches the coast, and 

 at Milford Sound is close to the shore. On this plateau the dredge was used, 

 and some interesting specimens were obtained. Of these, several new 

 species of fish had been handed to Dr. Hector for description. These were 

 exhibited, and their characters described at length. They comprised, among 

 others, Trachichthys intermedins, Scorpcena barathri, Platystethus abbreviates, 



Macrui 



_ _ 



Hector. 



passing described several other new fish. Among them were Plectropoma 

 huntii, from the Chatham Islands; Maurolicus borealis, from Preservation 

 Inlet, a former specimen of which had been obtained in Milford Sound in 

 1863; and Leptoscopus robsoni, from Cape Campbell. (Transactions, p. 245.) 

 He also showed two fine specimens of the New Zealand avocet, a bird with 

 a very remarkable upturned bill, and a specimen of Procellaria lessoni, a sea 

 bird, of which only one specimen appears to have been hitherto obtained in 

 New Zealand. 



With regard to the Geratodus, Mr. Hood mentioned that it is confined, so 

 far as we know, to the Dawson and other tributaries of the Fitzroy, an eastern 



Queensland. The dividing ridge between 



in 



that riven It had for years been used and esteemed a delicacy by the settlers, 



.«, the 



salmon in colour j and it might still have remained unnoticed had it not 

 attracted the attention of his friend Mr. Foster, late Premier of New South 



Wales, when lift lmimpnorl +^ -.ricU 4-v.,*. o!.,i »_i. 



West 



South-East?" by J. C. Crawford, FG.S. (Transactions, p. 448.) 



The Hon. Mr. Mantell spoke against the theory propounded by Mr. 



Crawford, and Dr. Hector agreed with Mr. Mantell, yet the latter thought 



that there was evidence to show that New Zealand had altered very much. 

 3. " Observations regarding the Hot Winds of Canterbury and Hawke 



Bay," by T. H. Cockburn-Hood, F.G.S. (Transactions, p. 107.) 



This paper gave rise to an animated discussion, in which many members 



took part. Mr. Waterhouse, Mr. Webb, M.H.R., and Captain Fraser did 



not think that the hot winds in New Zealand had any connection with those 



in Australia, 





