Otago Institute.

Otago Witness, Issue 1751, 13 June 1885, Page 12

Otago Institute.

A meeting of the Otago Institute, held in the Museum on Tu'Bday evening, was attended by about a di zen members, Dr. Scott occupying <he rbair, Mr G, M. Thomson moved the following resolution upon a matter of which he thought the Institute fhould take some cognizinc* : — *• That this Society draw tbe attention of the Gwrnment to tho recent who'.osalo deporta tion of tuataru lizards which has taken place from thia Oolony, and that steps be taken to preserve thpso animals in the localities in which thpy occur." These 1-zatdd were an extremely interesting zool< g'cil typp, and pro sumably at one time common. Now they wore found rn-.iv in a few localities on the E kst Coast of tbr> North Island, and were not common thcro. Very recently a shipment hnd been sent Home of something like 120 living specimens, and if thppe commanded a good price, no doubt the experjmrnt would be rppeated, with the result that the tuataru lizards would bo either completely decimated or reduced to very small numbers.

Professor Parkkb seconded the resolution, and felt personally indebted to the mover, as bawaß part 'cularly interested in the tuataru I'Zirdf, and had bf>an endeavouring to obtain their »inbryos. He and a companion had visited Karowa Island for this purposn, and had brought away a numbsr of specimens, but had, i>f course, been ci\ref,ul to run no ri-k of t'opopulatitig tho island. Kowrver if such Bhiomenta hnn h:vd bern nndo were repeated two or Ifaree tliß'-s tha it-land would qnick'y be cleared, und it would amount almost to a crime to allow tbis. The lizards were most interesting in stmcture, being of a peculiar old type — a kind of ancient aristocratic racn of liz »rdf, and it wbr of tbe utmost importance tbar. their development should be -•ccur!\tßly worked out. He had spokou to the Hon. Mr Strut upon the s-ukject, avd he said he would tiy to get them put under the Preservation of Animals Act. Mr |\ R. Chapman remarked th,at It was

questionable whotbar any existing Icgidation weuld suffice. Ib nrgbt be n^CHoary lo as!' tbe Government o amend tho Act. He woul^ look into it, and inform the hon. secretary upon the subject. Mr D. letrie, M.A., thon gave a brief notice of some new native plantß discovered by bim at great elevations, and handed round spacimnns tor imn oefcion.

Profesaor Parker read an explanatory papar upon a genealogical treo of the animal kingdom designed by him as an index collection for small zoological museums.

Tho tree, which is to be placed in the Ok3go Museum, ia certainly a very ingenious and aimplo method of convoying to tho observer the position and ancestry uf tha various groups, from tho protozaatiß, speciuieno of which are clinging to tbe lower extremity of the main atom, to tho bird and mammal found at the Bummits of tho two divergent uppermost branches. These branches diverge from a specimen of tho reptilo (represented by the New Zealand lizard) upon tho main stem. Various other branches project at intervals from the main atem bearing specimens of the groups they represent, the branches inclining upwards or downwards, as the groups have attained a higher development or have degenerated from tha stage reached by their ancestors. Every specimen upon the branches and the main stem is distinctly labelled, indicating tho place in tha Museum assigned to the group to which it belongs.

Several members present commented favourably upon thi* design. Tho Chaibman stated that a circular had been received trom Lord Derby to the effect that groat trouble and expenne was entailed by the nece^Rity of identifviop the numerous specimens that were Bent Home, and suggesting that an herbarium should be kept here for their classification.