Notice of a large Stingaree (Trygon thalassia).

Transactions and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Volume 13, 1880, Unnumbered Page

2. “Notice of the Capture of a Large Stingaree,” by Mr. Seymour George, M.H.R. The following is a note of a large Stingaree (Trygon thalassia), which I harpooned to-day and captured, it being an unusually large one, the length from snout to tip of the tail being 9 feet 11 inches; length of tail, 6 feet; breadth, 4 feet 7 inches; depth, about 1 foot 6 inches. It must have weighed at least 2 cwt. The tail was covered with spines, also a row nearly the whole length of back, and part of two other rows of spines running parallel with the main row of spines on the back. I happened to haul it on the beach on its back, so that the whole of the under part of the fish was fully exposed. While thus lying a young ray was born, which measured from snout to tip of tail 3 feet 3 inches; length of tail, 2 feet 2 inches, with a spine 2 inches long; breadth, 1 foot 4 inches. Another young ray, evidently just born, followed its mother on shore, which I also captured; it was the same size as the one which I saw born. I opened the ray to see if there were any more young inside her, but found none, but seemed to have a number of what I supposed to be eggs; they were about the size of a pigeon's egg, and full of a thick yellow fluid. Kawau, 5th March, 1880. (Specimens exhibited.) 3. “Notes on Mr. Frankland's Paper on ‘The Simplest Continuous

Manifoldness of two Dimensions and of Finite Extent,”’ by W. Skey. (Transactions, p. 100). Mr. Frankland replied to Mr. Skey's objections, and said that he was glad this paper had been written, as it would afford him an opportunity of bringing forward his views on the subject more fully. Dr. Hector exhibited recent additions to the Museum, comprising a series of fishes from Japan, presented by the Hon Mr. Waterhouse; a, series of the fishes sold in the Melbourne markets; birds and seals from the Auckland Islands; collection of tapa cloth, showing the process of manufacture; and sugar grown in Fiji, presented by the Commissioner for Fiji at the Sydney Exhibition; a specimen of Molock horridus, the horned lizard of Australia, presented by Dr. Ralph, of Melbourne. Dr. Hector explained that this lizard is probably the living representative of a gigantic extinct dragon, lately found in Queensland, the bones of which he had seen, and recognised their affinity, before they were sent to Professor Owen by Dr. Bennett, in October last. He had just received a copy of Professor Owen's paper containing the description read before the Royal Society, which confirmed this identification. Lastly, attention was directed to the large geological collection made during last year—in the South by Mr. McKay, and in the North by Mr. Cox, among which occurred new and valuable minerals which may prove of great economic importance.