3 inches, when it is rounded off; it is a flat smooth elongated stone widest at the cutting edge, which is central and rounded, and con. tinuous with the sides of the stone, which are sharply bevelled off. These blades are set in an elbow shaped handle bent at rather an acute angle, one of the limbs being shortened and spilt to receive the blade, which is secured by being firmly bound round with thin cane, the point of the elbow is produced to a long point about 10 inches and ornamently carved. The blade in these fine specimens is always set obliquely from the long arm of the handle. Three small adzes, the heads of which measuring 31 × 2 inches, of roughish flattened stone, the cutting surface is confined to one end, the inner face concave the outer convex, making the cutting edge arched. These stones taper towards the attached end which is left in the rough; they are fastened to a short kind of elbow shaped handle by a strongly platted bracelet of

cane.

Three from the Fiji Isles also attached to elbowed handles, but made from thicker pieces of wood, the stone being fastened by a twine of platted cocoanut fibre. The stone portion of these varies in length from 6 to 9 inches, and from 1 to 2 inches in breadth, they are long, narrow, slightly fastened stones of nearly an equal width throughout, the cutting edge is confined to the unattached end which is slightly narrowed round laterally.

Six specimens from the Solomon Group of Isles, four of which are from Florida Isles; these last vary in length from 5 to 3 inches, they are elongated triangles, the base of the triangle being formed by the cutting edge, which is curved and rounded from side to side, and formed on the outer surface of the stone, being very much bevelled off from within; the whole surface is smooth and polished, flattened laterally, with blunt rounded edges. Those from the other Solomon Isles differ only in being narrower and longer, measuring in length about seven inches.

Two from the Loyalty Isles, very similar in form and general appearance to the last, but contracted above the cutting edge, and about an inch longer and broader at the cutting edge, which is also slightly more central.

Some twenty other specimens were exhibited from various isles in the South Seas, the exact localities of which have not yet been determined.

One specimen from Ambrym Isle, New Hebrides Group, similar in shape to those from Florida Isles, but shorter and broader at the cutting edge, made from the shell of the tridochna.

One remarkable specimen was also exhibited by Mr. Markey, it was a stone about a foot in length, almost round, with a cutting edge at either end, and to the centre was fastened a handle of strong true cane; its locality is said to be New Zealand, but from the nature of the cane handle appears to be doubtful.

Three fine specimens of what are known as gubba gubbas these consist of circular discs of stone about 7 inches in diameter and about 2 inches from side to side, through which a round hole is bored, and into this hole a wooden handle about three feet long is fixed; the circumference of the stone is ground to a sharp edge all round.

Two fine spears about ten feet long, to the end of which has attached a piece of sharp pointed flint of about ten inches long.

MONDAY, 31ST MAY, 1875.

W. J. STEPHENS, ESQ., M.A., in the Chair.

NEW MEMBERS PROPOSED.

The Honorable Leopold Fane de Salis, M.L.C.; E. O. Moriarty, Esq., Engineer of Rivers, &c.; Captain Eldred; The Rev. J. V. Atkin, M.A.; H. Prendergast, Esq.; and Dr. Tarrant, Kiama.

MEMBERS ELECTED.

A. R. Fraser, Esq., New England.

MONDAY, 28TH JUNE, 1875.

J. C. Cox, Esq., M.D., in the Chair.

MEMBERS ELECTED.

The Honorable Leopold Fane de Salis; E. O. Moriarty, Esq.; Captain Eldred; The Rev. J. V. Atkin, M.A.; R. Prendergast, Esq.; and Dr. Tarrant, Kiama.

MONDAY, 26TH JULY, 1875,

The Honorable L. F. DE SALIS in the Chair.

NEW MEMBERS PROPOSED.

Thomas Francis, Esq., C.E.; C. H. Hawkes, Esq.

Mr. E. P. BAMSAY, F.L.S,, read the following paper descriptive of a new species of Trichoglossus.

TRICHOGLOSSUS. (Glossopsitta) AMABILIS.

Adult Male.-Forehead (all above a straight line from the eye to the nostril) and the whole of the upper surface bright green, darker on the wings and tail, brightest on the rump and upper tail coverts, but having a slight olive-green tinge on the upper wing coverts, interscapular region and back; the first primary quill, the tips and all but a narrow green margin to the outer webs of the remaining quills, blackish brown; the inner webs of the secondaries and concealed portions of the wing coverts blackish brown; primaries and secondaries below, and the outer series of the under wing-coverts, dark brown, the first two secondaries having a faint spot of yellow near the base of their inner webs, being visible only on the under surface; the remainder of the under wing-coverts and margins of the shoulders bright green, of

the same tint as the under surface of the body; lores (all below a straight well-defined line from the eye to the nostril), cheeks, and throat bright vivid crimson, bounded below by a crescent-shaped band across the chest of bright yellow, which reaches to the sides of the lower neck; legs bright vivid crimson, with a few feathers of bright yellow, and of violet at the thighs; under tail-coverts green, tinted with yellow near the base; round the vent a small patch of crimson feathers, and a few tinged with violet; earcoverts, sides of the neck, lower part of the chest, and the remainder of the under surface bright green; two or three yellow feathers on the sides of the chest under the wings in some specimens, and a few of crimson and of yellow scattered over the abdomen; the central portion of most of the feathers on the abdomen tinged with yellow; tail above dark green, below blackish brown; the terminal third portion of all the feathers yellow; on the inner webs, near the base of the three external quills, on either side is a large oblong blotch of bright crimson, margined below with pale yellow. Bill and cere, orange red; tip of upper and lower mandibles dark horn colour; orbits orange yellow; tarsus and feet flesh red. Total length 6.7 inches; wing 3.6; tarsus, 0.46; tail 3.25; bill 0·5; culmen 0.35.

Adult Female.—Similar in size and markings to the male, but less highly coloured; the tail not so extensively tipped with yellow, and only an indication of the yellow band across the chest ; the four exterior tail feathers on either side are blotched with crimson, as in the male, the crimson being more distinctly margined near the base and sides with yellow, but, as in the male, confined to the inner webs of the feathers. The abdomen and legs are less ornamented with crimson and yellow, no yellow spot at the base of the secondaries as described in the male. Total length tail 3.05; wing 3.6.

6.5;

Habitat, Ovalau, Fiji Group, S. S. Islands.

Remarks. This very beautiful species was found at Ovalau by Mr. Charles Pearce, who was fortunate enough to procure both sexes from a large tree bearing bunches of yellow blooms, from which they extracted a honey-like fluid; they had not previously made their appearance, and only remained while the tree was in

flower. The flock consisted of about thirty individuals, the stomach contained nothing but the fluid extracted from the blossoms, and a little pollen from the stamens of the flowers.

This species differs very little from those of the genus Trichoglossus and its sub-genus Glossopsitta, except perhaps in the proportionably greater length of the tail, and the relative length of the tibia and tarsus, as will be seen by the accompanying

measurements :

Average sized specimen of G. Australis: Total length, 5.8 inches; wing 3.8; tail 2-3; tibia 105; tarsus, 04. T. (G.) amabilis Total length 6.7 inches; wing 50; tail 3.25; tibia 1.15; tarsus 0·46.

MONDAY, 30TH AUGUST, 1875.

The Honorable L. F. DE SALIS in the Chair.

NEW MEMBER PROPOSED.

W. H. Drake, Esq.

MEMBERS ELECTED.

Thomas Francis, Esq., C.E.; C. H. Hawkes, Esq.

MONDAY, 27TH SEPTEMBER, 1875.

W. J. STEPHENS, Esq., M.A. in the Chair.

W. H. Drake, Esq.

MEMBER ELECTED.

Mr. RAMSAY read some notes on an Entomostracous Crustacean, (Lepidurus viridis) which had been sent for identification, and also exhibited and gave the following description of a new genus and species of marsupial.