﻿Otago Institute. 415 



3. "Work for Field Naturalists," by P. Thomson. (See Transactions, 

 p. 138.) The author's motion for the formation of a Field IN'ataralists' Society- 

 was seconded by Mr. J. S. Y/ebb, and carried. 



4. " On a Supposed New Species of Duck,"* by A. 0. Purdie. (See Trans- 

 actions, p. 213.) 



Mr. Maitland, on or near whose property the bird had been shot, said that 

 it looked very long for its size when in the air ; its flight was heavy ; it made 

 a peculiar whistling cry ; the flock flew in a wedge shape, and always kept 

 close together. One of them had been shot, and they numbered when last seen 

 only ten, but he hoped they would remain in the neighbourhood, as they had 

 done up to the present time, and increase. 



In answer to a question, Mr, Maitland said that the birds whistled with 

 their mouths, not with their wings. 



A member -said that the bird might be the Australian Whistling Duck, as 

 a late number of the " Otago Daily Times" had suggested. 



Mr. Purdie said that the bird was not an Australian Whistling Duck, 

 specimens of which he had seen. 



Papers by Dr. Hector and Mr. J. S. Webb were held over till a future 

 meeting. 



The Chairman had on the table a powerful Microscope, and various inter- 

 esting microscopic objects. 



The books recently acquired for the Library of the Society and various 

 scientific papers were on the table. 



Fifth Meeting. 31s^ October, 1871. 

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



Neio members. — W. A. Young, A. Stuart, H. F. McLean, F. 0. Fulton. 



It was unanimously resolved that Mr. Justice Chapman be appointed the 

 Member of the Otago Institute to vote in the election of Governors of the 

 New Zealand Institute. 



1. " Notes on the ''Fur Seal of New Zealand, Arctocephalus cinereus, 

 Gray (?)," by James Hector, M.D., F.E.S. (See Transactions, p. 196.) 



2. " On the Fur Seal of New Zealand," by J. S. Webb. (See Transac- 

 tions, p. 199.) After reading this paper Mr. Webb drew attention to a point 

 in the natural history of Seals, which he thought would be of more interest to 

 the meeting than any discussion about mere names or different points in classi- 



* Determined by Captain Button to be Dendrocyr/na eTjtoni, Gould, or Whistling Duck 



of Australia. — Ed. 



