president’s address. 
239 
great force from its subterranean source. Some of the notable 
members of the extremely interesting fauna of these islands were 
referred to, amongst others the curious flesh-eating Parrot known 
as the “ lvea.” Sir Francis has enriched the Castle-Museum with 
specimens of the beautiful Tui or Parson Bird, the Iluia or 
Neomorpha of Gould, the rare Stitch Bird, and the extremely 
aberrant Owl known as the White-faced or Laughing Owl, of 
which on the same trip he obtained a stuffed specimen, an egg, and 
a living example, the two former being now in the Museum 
collection. Some of the equally singular vegetable productions of 
New Zealand were also referred to, also those of Ceylon, the 
botanical gardens at Kandy being described as unquestionably the 
most beautiful in the world. Amongst the wonders of the 
vegetable world which the President had visited were the giant 
Wellingtonias at Wawona in California, the celebrated Bo tree at 
Anaradapura, Ceylon, said on good authority to have been planted 
245 years b.c., the ancient Dragon trees in Teneriffe, and the 
giant Gum-trees of New Zealand and Tasmania, but the most 
curious of all were the Japanese dwarfed trees, some of which, ol 
great age, may be covered by the hand.] 
