2l8 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



As a country of pre-eminent ornithologic interest, New Zealand 

 still keeps up its reputation. Although, but a short time has passed 

 since the issue of the magnificent second edition of Sir Walter 

 Buller's Birds of New Zealand, we find several new species described 

 and recognized by Sir Walter, and Mr. Cheeseman has placed on our 

 list the birds of the Kermadec Group recently included in our 

 political area. Other observers have contributed just the kind of 

 short notes from personal observation, which are so frequently 

 thought "■ not Avorth writing about," but which in the aggregate 

 greatty increase the sum of our knowledge. Quite a tempest, not to 

 say a storm in a teacup, seems raging between two members in re 

 " Kakapo versus Takahe." Mr. Suter continues his patient labours on 

 the interesting, though small, land shells of New Zealand, and, what 

 is much to the point, adds to his descriptions excellent drawings of 

 the species, which however do not receive justice at the hands of the 

 printer. 



In a concise and yet useful form Professor Hutton prints a 

 revised list of the New Zealand Bryozoa up to date, work which has 

 been rendered possible by the invaluable Synonymic List of the 

 described species of Bryozoa, lately published in England by Miss E. 

 0. Jelly, a lady who has laboured for many years in this branch of 

 Natural Science, and has greatly simplified the labours of future 

 students. A large number of the tertiary species from New Zealand 

 are now described in various publications. When shall we ever get 

 a systematic description of the thousands of fossil mollusca, &c, 

 which have been accumulated by the Geological Survey officials at 

 Wellington ? Only Echo answers, When ! 



From a biological point of view the short paper on the Origin of 

 the Sternum, by Professor Parker is of great interest, and Mr. 

 Beattie's observations on the extraordinary variation in the fin 

 formula of the Red Cod furnish much material for speculation. 



Spiders, though they be but a feeble folk, take a great deal of 

 describing. Sixty-one closely printed pages to describe thirty- four 

 spiders ! Some years ago spiders abounded in the district in which I 

 lived, a hundred kinds at least, probably all undescribecl ; here is 

 work for the industrious ! 



One of the great sea monsters has paid us a visit during the year 

 and enabled the Curator of the Auckland Museum to " put him on 

 the list ;" he was comparatively a small specimen, only 34 feet long, 

 so "he never Avill be missed." I am afraid to put down in black and 

 white the reputed measurements of individuals of this species (the 

 Basking Shark) ; they are much too great to be swallowed. Within 

 the past few weeks a strange sea monster has been reported off 

 the East Coast of the North Island, let us hope that it may fall to 

 the lot of our zealous Curator to add this, as yet somewhat mythical 

 monster to the Otago Museum, even if the Council have to erect an 

 extra length of tin shed to exhibit it in. 



Two members of our local Society contribute papers on the 

 Crustacean fauna of New Zealand ; in the one instance clearing some 

 points in the History of Squilla and Nerocila, and in the other adding 

 to the list of Fish Parasites. 



