MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 45 



Mr. Hudson would like to remind Mr, Maskell that domestic 

 productions vary more than those in a wild state, because in selecting 

 animals and plants for his use man has always taken those that vary in 

 the direction he requires, hence domestic animals and plants have a 

 tendency to vary in all directions. 



Mr. Robert Pliarazyn said that the question was lai-gely one of 

 experience — there were some branches of science where colour would 

 not apply, such as chemistry. In natural history colour would have 

 greater weight, but it was really for naturalists themselves to judge 

 from experience. If difference of colour proved to be followed by 

 difference in structure or habit, then it would certainly be reliable. 

 Animals were mxich alike in habit, and it would hardly apply to them. 

 We must associate colour with other characters before it can be generally 

 used in selecting species. 



Mr. McKay said that colour was often the result of a structural 

 peculiarity, and in many instances must be regarded as specific ; 

 nacreous and iridescent shells might be mentioned as illustrating this. 

 "While believing that colour was never purely accidental, as contended 

 by Mr. Maskell, he did not think that colour-spots in all cases could be 

 used to determine specific differences. With respect to the occurrence 

 of a species of Robin on the Snares and Chatham Islands, but not 

 found elsewhere within the New Zealand area, he thought this might 

 be accounted for on the supposition that the species had established 

 itself on these now separate and distant islands at a time when the 

 Snares and Chatham Islands were connected with each other, and 

 formed part of a large island which also included New Zealand. 



Mr. Henley thought the establishment of true species was a matter 

 that was determined by the instincts of the animals themselves. In the 

 cases of tamed quadrupeds, referred to by Mr. Maskell, the animals 

 recognised no distinction — to a horse every other horse was also a horse; 

 every dog recognised his species in any other dog. If this were not so — 

 if gray horses refused to associate with bay horses, and if, except in 

 cases of close confinement, horses of the two colours did not cross, they 

 might fairly be considered to be two species. If they did not cross the 

 colours would be persistent, as a rule, in the offspring. In cases of wild 

 animals and birds if individuals different in colour, but seemingly alike 

 in other respects, never coupled, the colour alone noted a difference of 

 species. Whether this instinct for separate breeding was likely to be 

 present in special instances of birds with peculiar-coloured plumage, 

 only one or two specimens of which birds had been collected, only a 

 specialist was competent to decide, and he would probably base his 

 opinion upon points, the cumulative force of which, sufficiently plain to 

 himself, he might find it difficult to explain to others. If albinos were 

 sporadically produced in sufficient numbers to find albinos for partners, 

 and never obtained partners of tbe normal colour of the species, they 

 would probably have a large proportion of albinos in their offspring, 

 and would soon form a species that he thought all naturalists would 

 recognise as such. 



Mr. T. W. Kirk mentioned having seen a specimen of the Nankeen 

 night-heron near the mouth of the Pahau river in March last. The 



