696 Proceedings. 



works of engineering skill. In conclusion, he was surprised at objections 

 being raised to the idea that knowledge would gradually become an 

 inherited attribute in the human race. How much better, for example, 

 it would be if we could inherit all our elementary learning, and thus 

 have so much more time for more advanced studies ! There were 

 many instances where insects inherited the facult}' of performing most 

 complex actions without being taught, and he did not see why the same 

 lav/ should not apply to man when a sufficiently long interval of time 

 had elapsed to render his activities hereditary. 



Mr. Maskell brought under the notice of the meeting a 

 specimen of the horse- or bot-fly. It had appeared in New 

 Zealand during the last year. It affected horses in a most 

 extraordinary way, driving them almost mad. He thought it 

 right to make the appeai'ance of this pest known. 



Mr. Travers said he greatly feared that the direct steamers 

 would be the means of introducing many such pests. 



2. "Notes and Observations on New Zealand Birds," by 

 Sir W. BuUer. {Transactions, p. 64.) 



The author exhibited several beautifully-prepared specimens to illus- 

 trate his paper. 



Sixth Meeting : 28rd Septe7nber, 1891. 

 Sir James Hector in the chair. 

 New Member. — Hastings Lee. 



Sir James Hector said that before proceeding to the business of the 

 evening he wished to introduce to the Society Mr. Albert Koebele, an 

 American entomologist, who was making a second trip to the colonies 

 for the purpose of studying the enemies of insect pests. IMembers would 

 recollect that in 1888 Mr. Koebele, when on a visit to South Australia in 

 search of a small fly (Testophonus) , a parasite on that dreadful pest 

 Iccrya jnircliasi, discovered a single ladybird {Vcdalia) preying on the 

 pest. He found a second specimen in New South Wales, and then on his 

 arrival in New Zealand he found that the Iccrya tihout Auckland was also 

 being destroyed by something, and this too turned out to be Vcdalia. As an 

 energetic and exj^ert entomologist he at once saw that here was the thing he 

 sought. Passing on to Napier, where Icerya had been exceedingly destruc- 

 tive, he was fortunate enough to be able to collect several thousands of 

 Vcrlalias, and he was able to take them away with him and liberate them, 

 still alive, in California. Now, California had been up to that time so eaten 

 up by Icerya that the damage was estimated at several million dollars 

 annually. Yet, in twelve or fifteen months after the liberation of Vcdalia 

 the State of California was practically free from the dreaded pest. This 

 work of l\Ir. Koebele was in fact one of the grandest things in the interest of 

 fruit- and tree-growers that have been effected in modern times, and he 

 thought no apology would be needed from him for introducing personally 

 to the Society the gentleman who had been so energetic and successful in 

 carrying out this splendid work. He might observe that perhaps the whole 

 thing showed how careful the people of New Zealand ought to have been 

 (and, unfortunately, they had been only too careless) about the introduc- 

 tion of plants from other countries without due investigation of the insect- 

 life on them. But, at least, Mr. Koebele's visits had had this good efiect : 

 They had drawn attention in the most practical way to the need of culti- 



