Wellington Philosophical Society/. 389 



Dr. Hector explained that tlie President's paper was written at his request, 

 as a supplement to his own pnjier, read at a former meeting, on the Saurian 

 remains lately discovered in the South Island. He had just received a letter 

 from Professor Owen, who anticipated that these discoveries would be most 

 important, as they will probably supply some missing links in the connection 

 between the fossil Saurians found in various parts of the world. 



4. " Notes on the Flora of the Province of Wellington, with a List of 

 Plants collected therein," by John Buchanan, of the Geological Survey of 

 New Zealand. {Transactions, p. 210.) 



5, Dr. Hector read the following extract from a letter received from Baron 

 von Mueller, relative to a plant from the Chatham Islands, described in 

 " Fragmenta Phytographise Australiensis," LXII., p. 79, as Lejjyrodia traversii, 

 which further specimens have proved to be a new genus — 



" Among the Restiacese last sent by Mr. Buchanan is a female specimen of 

 the tall species peculiar to the Chatham Islands. Unexpectedly it shows 

 this plant to belong to the nucular, not the capsular, series of the genera, 

 among which its dispersion of flowers places it separate from any, except the 

 South African genus Elegia ; but, as it diffei's in various respects from all the 

 specimens of that genus, and as we have no Elegias out of Africa, I have 

 deemed it best to form a separate genus for the Chatham Island plant, and 

 have named this new genus SjyoradanthiLS. It holds precisely the same 

 relation to Leptocarpus as Lepyrodia to Restio. Perhaps you will kindly insert 

 a brief note to this effect in your next volume." 



The annual general meeting, which could not be held owing to the 

 required number of members not being present, was adjourned till Monday, 

 26th January. 



Seventh Annual General Meeting. IWi January, 1874. 

 Charles Knight, F.R.C.S., President, in the chair. 

 About thirty members were pi-esent. 



ABSTRACT REPORT OF COUNCIL. 



During the session of the Society for 1873 seven general meetings were 

 held, which were usually fully attended. At these meetings thirty-two 

 different communications were read, which is short of the number in previous 

 years, but they were chiefly of considerable importance, and gave rise to 

 interesting discussions, so that the real amount of work done by the members 

 of the Society is not below the average. 



Nineteen new members have been added to the Society since the last annual 



