542 Po'oceedings. 



2. "Description of some Plates of Baleen in the Otago Museum," by 

 Captain F. W. Hutton, C.M.Z.S. {Transactions, p. 2GG.) 



3. A letter from Dr. Gray, of the British Museum, was read, noticing the 

 finner whale that was caught off Otago Heads last October, which he stated 

 was closely allied to the pike whale (BalcenojHera rostrata) of the north. 



Captain Hutton exhibited the skull of a whale, probably Mesoplodon 

 longirostris, Krefft, that came ashore in Blueskin Bay. 



Dr. Coughtrey thought that the southern position of Otago made it a very 

 advantageous position for establishing a whaling station. From his experience 

 in the north of Scotland, he could say that whaling was a very profitable 

 undertaking. He had known a profit of £800 made out of a whale, and it 

 was very common to make £500. South Sea whalebone had obtained a very 

 bad name at Home, but he was sure that the Baleen exhibited that evening 

 (Balcenoptera sibaldii ?) was of a very superior quality. Dr. Gray stated that 

 the whalebone of Neobalcena marginata was the finest in the world, but, 

 unfortunately, it appeared never to attain a large size. If the seas were 

 explored near the margins of the ice-field, it was probable that a species very 

 similar to the right whale of the arctic seas might be found. 



Fifth Meeting, l^th July, 1874. 



J. T. Thomson, F.R.G.S., President, in the chair. 



New members. — Dr. H. Sorley, Professor Coughtrey, Dr. W. Brown, 

 R. McNaughton. 



1. " On the Zodiacal Light as seen in Southern Latitudes," by W. Skey. 

 Transactions, p. 150.) 



2. "Notice of the Earnscleugh Cave," by Captain F. W. Hutton, F.G.S. ; 

 with remarks on some of the more remarkable Moa remains found in it, by 

 Professor Millen Coughtrey. (Transactions, p. 138.) 



Mr. Gillies said that it would seem that after all they were going to have 

 the moa as a contemporary. There were many of the old settlers whose 

 statements in reference to this matter he thought might be of value. 



The President also thought that the statements of the old settlers in 

 reference to this matter should be obtained. He remembered eighteen years 

 ago, when at Mataura, observing a large number of moa bones there. These 

 had since completely disappeared. This led him to believe that eighteen 

 years previous to that time the bones of the moa must have been very 

 plentiful there, and that consequently the existence of the bird itself could 

 not date very far back. Ho thouglit they should get some record of these 

 things before all the old ra would have passed away. 



