OTAGO INSTITUTE 



Seventh- Meeting. August 9, 1870. 



His Honor Mr. Justice Chapman, President, in the chair. 



The following new members were elected : — A. A. Barnet, John 

 Mitchell, A. W. Smith, H. J. Walter, Basil Sievwright, and DArcy 

 Haggitt. 



1. " On Periodic Vertical Oscillations of the Earth's Atmosphei-e, 

 and the connexion existing between the Fluctuations of Pressure as 

 indicated by the barometer and the changes of the weather," by H. Skey. 

 (See Transactions.) 



The paper was illustrated by diagrams and experiments. 



2. " On a (supposed) New Species of Bittern, from the Lake Dis- 

 trict, " by A. C. Pardie. 



(abstract.) 



This bird was killed at the head of the Wakatipu Lake, above 

 Queenstown, and forwarded to the Museum by Mr. J. S. Worthington. 

 It is not described by Mr. BuUer in his Essay " On the Ornithology of 

 New Zealand," which forms part of the Traoisactions of the New Zealand 

 Institute, Vol. i. ; biit a similar bird is referred to in a paper read by 

 Mr. Buller last year, before the Wellington Philosophical Society, as 

 having been received at the Canterbury Museum. 



This bird is provisionally named the New Zealand Little Bittern 

 {Ardeola Novce Zelandice), and the following is a description of it : — 

 Height 12|in. ; length from point of bill to tip of tail 14|in. ; from tip 

 of bUl to gape 2f in. ; wing from flexus 6 in. Tibia is feathered 

 to fin. of tarsus joint; mid toe 2|in., serrated as in common bittern; 

 primary quills of wings and tail bluish black above, shading into slate 

 colour below ; wing coverts buff ; scapulars, back, and centre ribs, dark 

 brown, shading into rufous down each web ; margins light buff; flexure 

 joint tipped with a rufous or rust-coloured spot ; top of head bhiish 

 black ; back of neck rusty brown ; front of neck or throat reddish brown 



