﻿364 Proceedings. 



discoverer of tlae egg, wlien he was at Kaikoura in 1866, that this was not the 

 case, but that the egg was found in alluvial soil when digging a few feet below 

 the surface. One of the models exhibited was of an egg restored by Mr. 

 Mantell from small fragments. 



Mr. Mantell explained that he had restored, more or less perfectly, about 

 twenty eggs, and that lie had, as a rule, found them imperfect at one end, as 

 if a hole had been artificially formed for the purpose of extracting the contents, 

 and perhaps to allow of the shell being used as a water vessel. All the shells 

 lie had found were near old Maori cooking ovens, which he had no objection 

 to see assigned to the prehistoric period, seeing that New Zealand history only 

 goes back for a few years. He was quite certain, however, that the Maoris in 

 the south at the date of his early explorations in 1846 were well acquainted 

 with the former existence of the Moas and the circumstances which led to their 

 extermination. 



Attention was then directed to tracings, by Mr. Cockburn Hood, of Foot- 

 prints of Moas recently discovered in sandstone layers at Poverty Ba,y, and to 

 a section showing their geological position, which is a very recent formation. 

 (See Transactions, p. 124, et seq.) 



Skins of the North Island Kokako {Glauco2ns), which were recently 

 obtained alive, were shown by Dr. Hector to determine satisfactorily that 

 the differences that distinguish G. wilsoni and. G. olivascens are due to sex. 



Captain Hutton exhibited several birds that are additions to the New Zealand 

 list, but not yet determined ; and also several new minerals he had recently 

 obtained at the Than^es, among which are native Copperas (Sulphate of Iron), 

 a rarely found mineral, on account of its being soluble in water, and Mallite, 

 a very rare and interesting compound of an organic acid with an earthy base. 



Specimens of Auriferous Quartz, Zinc-blende and other interesting ores, 

 were also exhibited from the Caledonian Mine and the Perseverance Lode, 

 Collinffwood. 



Third Meeting. 22nd Jidy, 1871. 

 W. T. L. Travel's, P.L.S., President, in the chair. 

 Neio member. — T. Cockburn Hood, F.G.S. 



1. "Australian Geography and Tojiography, with some New Zealand Com- 

 parisons and Contrasts/' by J. C. Crawford, F.G.S. 



(abstract.) 



The author first gave a sketch of the geological structure of the Australian 

 continent, describing the rocks under the following heads : — 



The frame work of Australia consists of three islands or groups of old 

 rocks, with probably some additional ones in the northern parts. 



