492 Proceedings. 



■with only one shoal, was carried 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, Traddchthys iiitermedius, JScorpcena harathri, Platystethus abhreviatus, 

 Macrurus armatus, Psevdorhomhus hoops, and some others. Dr. Hector, also, in 

 passing described several other new fish. Among them were PlectrojJoma 

 huntiiy from the Chatham Islands j Maurolicus horealis, from Preservation 

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

 1863; and Leptoscopus rdhsoni, 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 Ceratodus, Mr. Hood mentioned that it is confined, so 

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

 water of Queensland. The dividing ridge between them and the head waters 

 of the Darling is of small elevation and very narrow, but it is not known in 

 that river. It had for years been used and esteemed a delicacy by the settlei-s, 

 who gave it the name of the Dawson Salmon, its flesh resembling that of the 

 salmon in colour ; 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 he happened to visit that district. 



2. " Did the great Cook Strait River flow to the North- West or to the 

 South-East?" by J. C. Crawford, F.G.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.Il., and Captain Fraser did 

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

 in Australia. 



