Wellington Philosoj:)Jdcal Society. 533 



4. "Additions to the List of New Zealand Shells," by T. W. Kirk. 

 (Transactions, p. 268). 



5. "On the supposed Paraffin Deposit at Waiapu," by W. Skey. 

 [Transactions, p. 897). 



Dr. Hector gave an interesting account of tlie locality and of how the substance 

 occurred, being the petroleum that escapes from surface-wells altered by oxidation into a 

 kind of mineral grease. 



6. " On a Search for the Poisonous Principle of Brachyglottis repanda 

 and B. rangiora," by W. Skey. [Transactions, p. 400). 



7. " Further Information bearing on the Subject of the Lung- worm in 

 Sheep," by Dr. Hector. 



Mr. Travers stated that in France experiments had been made by Pasteaur, an 

 eminent scientific man, to cure this disease by inoculation, which had proved most suc- 

 cessful. This was of the greatest importance, as by this means thousands of sheep had 

 been saved in France. 



8. Dr. Hector then drew attention to several interesting additions to the Museum, 

 which were on the table : — among others extracts from the barks of New Zealand woods, 

 used for tanning purposes by Mr. Grayling of Taranaki, which had been highly spoken of 

 at the Exhibitions at Sydney and Melbourne : fossil bones from Australia, one nearly 

 allied to our moa : cast of a medal struck by the Admiralty for Captain Cook to distribute 

 to the natives of various islands, which was found in Queen Charlotte's Sound, in 1878. 

 Attention was also called to the two casts of the statues of "Hermes" and the " Hoy and 

 Goose," lately presented to the Colonial Museum by the German Government. 



Third Meeting-. %rcl September, 1881. 

 Dr. Hector, President, in the Chair. 

 Neiv Member. — E. E. Chudleigh. 



1. " On the Notornis," by W. L. Duller, C.M.G., Sc.D., F.E.S. [Trans- 

 actions, p. 238). 



Sir William Fox mentioned that he had frequently seen the two first specimens 

 alluded to by the author in the galleries of the British Museum, where, on account of 

 their rarity, they evidently attracted a considerable amount of attention. 



Mr. Travers mentioned a circumstance which had come to his knowledge, on the 

 authority of a Mr. Goddard, proving, as he thought, the existence of Notomis at no very 

 distant period in other parts of the South Island. 



Mr. Henry Travers gave some supplementary information on the same authority. 



Dr. Hector said he had made enquiries in 1863 about Mr. Mantell's specimens, and, 

 from the Natives who actually caught them, learnt the precise localities, as stated by the 

 author, to whom he had communicated the information. He considered it very remark- 

 able that the only three specimens of such a large and conspicuous bird had been obtained 

 in places so far apart, and thought it most likely that there were still plenty of survivors 

 in the south-west of Otago, where there was over 600 square miles of country that had 

 never yet been explored. 



