OCR Text |
Show 2 DR. HECTOR ON MAORI FEATHER MATS. [Jan. 4, A letter was read, addressed to the Secretary by Mr. George Brown, Corresponding Member, dated Port Hunter, Duke-of-York Island (lat. 4° 7' S., long. 152° 22' E.), Sept. 5, 1875, stating that he had shipped by the ' John Wesley,' for the Society, to the care of Dr. George Bennett at Sydney two Cassowaries, and a Cockatoo from the adjoining island of N e w Britain, and two Pigeons and two Parrots from Duke-of-York Island, and some other birds, which he trusted would arrive safely. Mr. Brown stated that he had a collector at work along with him, and hoped shortly to have made a good series of specimens of the hitherto almost unknown fauna of this and the neighbouring islands. The Secretary had received intelligence from Dr. Bennett of the safe arrival of the two Cassowaries (Casuarius bennetti) and of four of the other birds at Sydney, and that they would be forwarded to the Society by the • Paramatta' on her next return voyage. The following extract was read from a letter addressed to the Secretary by Mr. R. Trimen, Curator of the South-African Museum, Cape-town, dated 24th Nov. 1875. " Your note (P. Z. S. 1875, pp. 81, 82) on Canis chama, Smith, leads m e to think that you may be interested in hearing that there are two specimens of that species in this Museum. " They have hitherto been labelled C. variegatoides, Smith (South Afr. Qu. Journ. ii. p. 87), the example first received having been so determined by the late Curator; but on comparison of them with the characteristic plate (xviii.) in the ' Proceedings,' and with Dr. Smith's descriptions of the two species, it is clear that they are C. chama and not C. variegatoides. " I should be glad to hear if you know any thing about the latter species. " The late Dr. J. E. Gray referred it (List M a m m . Brit. Mus. 1843, p. 58) to C. mesomelas, Schreb.; but as Dr. Smith was well acquainted with C. mesomelas, it seems improbable that he would have founded a new species on any thing less than a well-marked variety. " C. chama is more widely spread than Dr. Smith's account would lead one to suppose, one of our two examples being from the neighbourhood of Beaufort (about the centre of this colony) and the other from near Caledon, a town about 70 miles east (and a little to the south) of Cape-town." Dr. Hector, F.R.S., sent for exhibition three feather mats, made by the Maoris of N e w Zealand : - No. 1. A n ancient mat, obtained by Dr. Buller from a chief belonging to the Upper Wanganui river. Centre of pigeon's feathers (Carpophaga novce-zealandut) trimmed with feathers from the Kaka (Nestor meridionalis) and North-Island Kiwi (Apteryx- mantelli), and also tufts of hair of the ancient Maori dog, now extinct. No. 2. A mat of Kiwi feathers (Apteryx mantelli) from Tampo Lake, North Island. The harsh feel, from the prolonged shafts |