THE NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE. 147 
lusca ; but it is evident that the systematic work must be care- 
fully undertaken first, before generalisations are attempted. 
Every year’s “ Transactions ” contains additions to our list of 
Crustacea. The present volume adds some eighteen or nineteen 
species, chiefly contributed by Mr. Chilton. As figures of all the 
new forms are given, future identification is rendered compara- 
tively easy. Little progress has yet been made in working out the 
distribution of our Crustacea,* but there are at present one or two 
large systematic investigations being carried out—particularly 
those on the collections made by the * Challenger ””—which ought 
to simplify this line of research very considerably. 
Mr. Urquhart’s paper “on the habits of Earth-worms in New 
Zealand,” is an example of a kind of paper of which we have far 
too few in the “Transactions.” Very few persons have the lei- 
sure to go into detailed or systematic research, but many could 
undertake the kind of work shewn in this paper; and, provided 
they show the same careful and patient observation, could add 
materially to our knowledge. Mr. Urquhart’s observations were 
led up to by Darwin’s work on earth-worms, and he promises a 
second paper, in which an attempt is to be made to show the 
sense of direction possessed by worms. 
Prof. Parker contributes three ichthyological papers, the last 
of them, “On a specimen of the great Ribbon Fish,” conveying 
much information on the morphology of the fishes belonging to 
the pelagic genus Regalecus. The same author’s paper ‘*‘ On the 
structure of the head in Palnurus, with especial reference to 
the classification of the genus,” is an able contribution to the 
natural classification of one group of the Crustacea. The Crus- 
tacea are now becoming an almost unmanageable division of the 
Arthropoda, on account of the immense number which are being 
continually described, and an author must specialise in them as 
in some other groups, if he hopes to do good work. 
Ornithological papers are becoming scarcer in our “ Transac- 
tions’ from year to year, but there are still a few communicated 
from time to time, chiefly by Dr. W. Buller, or through his means, 
while Dr. Haast gives one short paper on the Red Phalarope in 
the present volume. But there are still many interesting ques- 
tions which require to be settled, and it is to be hoped that some 
united action will be taken by those interested in ornithology to 
obtain information on them. These relate zz¢er alia to the peri- 
odical movements of many of our species, and the causes of these 
movements ; and this not only for those species which—like the 
cuckoos—mierate beyond the islands, but also for others which 
appear to change their location with the supply of food. In 
regard to Sceloglaux albifacies, or Laughing Owl, one of the spe- 
cies named in Dr. Buller’s paper ‘“‘On some rare species of New 
Zealand Birds,’ we would just remark that it is questionable 
whether the bird is so extremely limited in its occurence as is 
supposed. Some time last year a specimen was obtained in the 
* See, however, a paper ‘‘On the Distribution of Terrestrial Crustacea,” by 
Mr, Chilton, in the current number of this journal.—Eb, 
