OTAGO INSTITUTE.

Otago Witness, Issue 1994, 12 May 1892, Page 26

OTAGO INSTITUTE.

The ordinary meeting of the Otago Institute was held in the lecture hall of the Museum on Tnesday evening. There was a large attendance of members, and amongst the visitors was Sir James Hector. Mr C. W. Adams (the president) occupied the chair.

The Chairman, in opening the proceedings, said that it was usual to begin the session with a conversazione, but that the practice was departed from this time, and that the chief reason for this change was that there were so many papers to be read during the session.

NEW MEMBER.

The Chairman announced that Miss Gordon Rich had been elected a member of the institute. It was not, he said, generally known, that ladies could become members, but now (hat the woman question was coming forward

he hoped there would be a large accession of lady members.

THE MOA.

Professor Parker gave a synopsis of a paper he had; prepared on the moa. While makh?g investigations into the character of the skull? of moas during the last few weeks he had, he remarked, observed indications, or what he took to be indications, of the presence '-of a crest of large feathers in the frontal regipn. On the surface of the skull exhibited, occupying a part of the frontal bones, there were a series of small, shallow pits, closely set, arid arranged in somewhat radiating lines. These pits he took to be feather scars. The same appearance was presented by several but *>t by all of the skulls in the collection befeSe them, and was very distinct in one for the examination of which he- was indebted to the kindness of Sir James Hector. It was probable that ottly "certain species of moa were crested, or ifcmigbt be the case that the crest was a cha&Keristic of the male bird. Mr Hamilton ha&fiformed him that there was a tradition amcSlg the Maoris that the moa had a crest, and; tif that were so, this was a striking confirmation of it. However, he was not aware that anybody had brought forward anything like evidence of the moa having a crest, and so far as he knew, these pits had not been previously observed. The discovery, he thought was of some little interest, as of course everything which would throw light upon the appearance presented by these extraordinary birds during life was not without interest. Sir James Hector would like to ask Professor Parker if there were any other instances of birds having their 6kulls indented with feather roots. Professor Parker was sorry to say that he did not know of any. Mr A. Hamilton said that the early traditions of the Maoris were to the effect of the moa being "all the same face of a man." It might possibly be that these feathers stood out to a large extent over the eyes and represented the curly or woolly head of a Native. It was difficult to see how the head of a bird could be said to be like the head of a man without some such covering. Sir James Hector said he would not like it to go forth that the question about the face of a man had not been settled long ago. Anyone who turned to the other volumes of the transactions of the institute would see that, according to experts, the term did not really mean in Maori the face of a man, but the stature and appearance and attitude of a man. It was first translated in error as the face of a man. It ought to have been the attitude of a man who was going to fight — to resist all comers. Professor Parker then gave a synopsis of a second paper relating to the classification of moas. There were, he remarked, according to Captain Hutton, some 26 species of moa, and the differences between some of the extreme forms, were more than specific — that was, they were more than differences of species, and the moa ought to be divided into a certain number of genera. The professor then, by means of a diagram and specimens, explained how he proposed to classify them into three distinct genera. Sir James Hector spoke at some length, and in a very interesting manner, on the subject. In concluding he said that now this work of classification had been undertaken by gentlemen of Professor Parker's standing and ability, materials would be readily supplied for its continuance. He believed that the professor would receive consignments of specimens for investigation from all parts of the colony, and would soon be in possession of a great deal more material than he probably supposed to be obtainable. Before sitting down he (Sir James) would like to express his great disappointment that the results of Professor Parker's labour would now first be published out of New Zealand. _ The New Zealand Institute had been working now for 26 years, had brought out 26 volumes of transactions ; and now that there was a really great opportunity, the first sound effort towards elucidating this great mystery of the past life of New Zealand, the paper would have to go forth to another country to be published. For this he was very sorry indeed.

EXTINCT BIRDS. Mr A. Hamilton contributed a paper, the leading points of which he summarised for the audience, giving an account of the discovery of a number of extinct birds in a limestone fissure near Lumsden. The- exploration was made in conjunction with Mr Mitchell, and after considerable trouble Mr Hamilton and his friend succeeded in obtaining a very large collection of the bones of birds recently extinct, including a skull of Harpogonus and some others supposed to indicate a new species of Fulica. A brief discussion took place on the paper, after which the proceedings closed.