NATURAL HISTORY. 
183 
central authority. The relief of the poor, suppression of causes 
of disease, and treatment of epidemics, should be carried out under 
one administration. The officers of the one should also be those of 
the other. The medical officers should also be officers of health, 
either connected with a more complete inspectorate, or with chief 
officers of health for divisions of counties, &c. 
Sickness, of an epidemic character especially, should be registered 
as well as deaths, so that immediate action could be taken by the 
chief medical officers of health to stamp it out at once. The law 
is deficient in many respects. To prevent the pollution of a river, 
an injunction in Chancery must be obtained. The providing of 
disinfectant apparatus and of mortuaries is not compulsory. All 
the provisions are too much of a permissive character. Those who 
intend to do these things do not require permission, and it is of no 
use to those who won't ; for them compulsion is the only efficacious 
means. 
NATURAL HISTORY : NOTES FROM THE ANTIPODES. 
ABSTRACT OF CAPTAIN BRIGGS's PAPER. 
(Read March I4th, 1872.) 
The lecturer commenced by disclaiming for his subject a purely 
scientific treatment, and defined the humble aim of his paper as an 
attempt to give a slight sketch of the natural history of our Anti- 
podes, and at the same time to institute a comparison between the 
natural features and productions of our own country, and one which 
has not inaptly been called the " Britain of the South." 
He limited the scope of his paper to the relation and considera- 
tion of facts connected with the natural history of the North 
Island of New Zealand, from his special acquaintance with that 
Island, and from the impossibility of dealing with a more extended 
area in the time allotted to him. 
The position and extent of New Zealand was next considc^red, 
and the reference to shape in the native name for North Island, Te 
ika a Maui," i.e., " The fish of (the god) Maui," was explained. 
Its littoral aspect, and the cause of the absence of good harbour 
accommodation on the west coast, was investigated. 
After endeavouring to give an idea of the extent and character 
of the New Zealand " Bush," he proceeded to describe an ascent 
