VEGETABLE CATERPILLAR FROM NEW ZEALAND. 107 



both a Caterpillar bearing a Sphceria, (militaris,) and a chrysalis producing 

 a Sphceria (entomorhiza,) about which no question had ever been raised, 

 and five specimens of both had been found by Mr. Berkeley in person — it 

 only remained to admire in acquiescing wonder one more of the many 

 marvels of creation." 



The following valuable information was transmitted by Dr. Joseph Hooker, 

 of H. M. Discovery-Ship, "Erebus:"— 



"About Sphceria Eobertsii I collected all the information and as many 

 specimens as I could, but still am much at a loss to account for its 

 development. They are found in spring, generally under tree-ferns; the 

 Caterpillar is buried in the ground, as is the lower portion of the fun- 

 gus. Now both these fungi, {i.e. this and the following species, Sphceria 

 Taylor i, an analogous Australian species,) belong to Caterpillars which 

 bury themselves for the purpose of undergoing their metamorphosis; and 

 both Mr. Taylor and Mr. Colenso hold the same opinion, that in the act 

 of working the soil, the spores of the fungus are lodged in the first joint 

 of the neck, and the Caterpillar settles head upwards to undergo its change, 

 when the vegetable develops itself. I do not remember whether you have 

 remarked in your 'Icones/ that the entire body of the insect is filled with 

 a pith, or corky vegetable substance, and that the intestines are displaced, 

 which my specimens in spirits shew well; and then what does the muscular 

 fibre of the animal become? It must, I suppose, be all turned into vege- 

 table, for the skin of the creature remains quite sound all this time. 



This change may take place from the displacement of one gas and 

 development of another; it also occurs in the dark, and is hence somewhat 

 analogous to the formation of fungi on timber-work in mines. However 

 this may be, the whole insect seems entirely metamorphosed into vegetable, 

 with the exception of the skin and intestines." 



Professor Balfour in his "Manual of Botany," says: — 



"Some fungi are produced on living animals. Thus the disease called 

 muscardine in the silkworm, is produced by Botrytis Bassiana. Certain 

 wasps in the West Indies are affected by a similar disease. Sphoeria 

 sinensis, a celebrated Chinese drug, grows from a Caterpillar. Sphceria 

 Robertsii is developed on the larva of Hepialus virescens in New Zealand; 

 and Sphceria Taylori on an Australian Caterpillar. So are also Sphceria 

 sobolifera, entomorhiza, militaris, and others." 



One word more upon the position assigned by your correspondent, Mr. 

 Havers, to the fungus, which he has represented as proceeding from the 

 tail of the Caterpillar, whereas, in all the examples which have come 

 under my observation, the fungoid excrescence has invariably been devel- 

 oped upon the opposite extremity of the body. It is of course quite 

 possible that your correspondent is not in error upon that point, but it 



