534 Proceedings. 



Dr. BuUer said he was glad Ms paper had evoked so niuch interesting discussion. In 

 vindication of the name by which this bird was now distinguished (Notornis viantelli), he 

 wished to explain that, more than a year before the discovery of the bird itself on Eesolu- 

 tion Island, Professor Owen had drawn the generic characters of a large brevi-pennate 

 rail, then supposed to be extinct, from the fossil remains collected by Mr. Mantell, and 

 had named it Notornis, dedicating the species to the discoverer of the bones. It was some- 

 what curious that it should have fallen to the lot of the same scientific explorer to discover 

 the living bird itself, and although Mr. ManteU now modestly disclaimed any merit, it 

 seemed to have been peculiarly fitting and right that, in commemoration of his services, 

 his name should be permanently associated with the species. 



2. "Notes upon the Great Flood of February, 1868," by W. T. L. 

 Travers, F.L.S. [Transactions, p. 76.) 



On the motion of Dr. Duller, seconded by Mr, Chapman, the debate upon this paper 

 was adjourned until nest meeting. 



3. Dr. BuUer called tlie attention of the meetmg to the following speci- 

 mens which he had presented to the Colonial Museum : — ■ 



(1.) Himantopus albicoUis, Buller. — Immature state. Specimen obtained 

 by Mr. C H. Robson in the vicinity of Cape Campbell. 



(2.) Anas siqjerciliosa. — Pai'tial albino from Marlborough. In this speci- 

 men the primaries and secondaries in both wings are almost entirely white 

 in their apical portions ; a broad band of white meets the upper margin of 

 the speculum ; the wing-coverts are irregularly marked with white, and 

 some of the scapulars are entirely white. 



(3.) Hybrids between wild and domestic duck, 3" and ? . — These speci- 

 mens were received from Mr. Taylor of Petane, Hawke's Bay, who bred 

 them on his premises, and vouches for their authenticity. The wild parent 

 would appear, from the pronounced alar bar in the male, and the speckled 

 markings in the female, to have been Anas gibberifrons, the white-winged 

 duck. 



(4.) Syno'icus australis, Gould. — Three specimens of the swamp quail, 

 introduced from Australia, and obtained by the Hon. Dr. Pollen on the 

 East Coast. Two of these are in the normal plumage of the S' and ? ; the 

 other is a remarkable instance of melanism. The entire plumage is a 

 brownish slate-colour, paler on the under parts ; on the crown and nape 

 there are obsolete shaft-lines, and the whole of the upper surface is obscurely 

 varied and mottled with blackish-brown, washed with chestnut-brown on 

 the wings. It is slightly smaller than the other specimens, and proved on 

 dissection to be a male. 



4. The President called attention to a specimen of Tin Ore found near Pieefton, and 

 stated that this was the first authentic discovery of this mineral in New Zealand. 



