566 Proceedings. 



A few curious and pleasing old manufactures of tlie Maoris were also shown, further 

 exemplifying their skill, taste, patience, and perseverance (alluded to in the paper read), in 

 various industrial works ; including (1) a remarkably finely carved and ornamented sea 

 fish-hook of the old Maoris, made out of human and moa bones, and inlaid with mother- 

 of-pearl shell ; (2) specimens of the hand-made cords of the olden time : one kind, 

 though small, being also closely bound round with a still finer one, after the fashion of 

 the silver-string of a violin : and (3) a tobacco-pipe, bowl and stem in one piece, neatly 

 cut out of a hard, close-grained, white stone (obtained in 1835). 



2. Some novel Zoological specimens were also exhibited ; among them were several 

 fine spiders, dug u]d from a depth of 15-20 inches, in swampy soil, at Ongaonga by Mr. 

 John Drummond, and kindly presented by him. This spider is allied to the trap-door 

 spider of Otago (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vols. viii. and x.) but is quite distinct. A paper des- 

 cribing it and its habits was promised by the exhibitor, the Honorary Secretary, at a 

 future meeting. 



Fifth Okdinaey Meeting. lOth October, 1881. 

 The Eight Eev. the Bishop of Waiapu, President, in the chair. 



1. " On the fine Perception of Colours possessed by the Ancient Maoris," 

 by W. Colenso, F.L.S. {Transactions, p. 49 and p. 477). 



A long and animated discussion followed the reading of this paper, in which the 

 President, Mr. Colenso, Mr. Locke, and others, took part, and Mr. Stack's views were 

 generally opposed and condemned. (See Trans. N.Z. I., vol. xii.) 



Several curious Maori exhibits were shown and explained by Mr. Locke, which had 

 been recently dug up out of some old Maori graves at Poverty Bay, comprising several 

 small bone manufactures of the olden time, — including a long needle with a nicely formed 

 eye, and a remarkably well-cut comb, both made out of fine white bone ; also, a few large" 

 sky-blue globular glass beads, believed by the Maoris of Poverty Bay to have been given to 

 their forefathers by Captain Cook. All those small curios were in excellent preservation, 

 and were very interesting. The blue beads in particular, obtained from the grave, seemed 

 as if opportunely exhumed to bear their silent yet powerful testimony against the colour 

 theories which had been alluded to this evening — e.g. , that the old Maoris did not know 

 or could not perceive the blue colour. 



Sixth Oedinaey Meeting, lith November, 1881. 

 The Eight Eev. the Bishop of Waiapu, President, in the chair. 



1. "A Description of some New Zealand Plants new to Science, — of the 

 Genera Clematis, Parsonsia, SarcocJiilus, Astelia, Polypodium, Plagiochila, and 

 Gymnanthe, — lately discovered," by W. Colenso, F.L.S. {Transactions, 

 p. 329). 



Besides the specimens of the plants described in his paper, many other Cryptogamic 

 species, mostly of the orders Musci and Hepaticce, and including several believed to be 

 wholly new, also lately obtained from the Seventy-mile Bush, were likewise shown by the 

 Hon. Secretary, together with some fine insects (chiefly Goleoptera), collected at Elms- 



