534 Proceedings. 



in the natural enemy." Nor did he believe in the plan advocated, to kill 

 the does and let the bucks go. The does could not be killed upon the 

 Crown lands. In reply to Mr. Field, he thought the results of that 

 observer's experience on the West Coast worthy of careful consideration. 

 He believed that the dingo in Australia would be found a most useful 

 animal to spread the bladder-worm in that great continent. In reply to 

 Mr. W. H. Beetham, Mr. Phillips said that the rabbit-pest was pretty 

 well conquered upon the runs near the Ruamahanga before Mr. Riddi- 

 ford's stoats and weasels were liberated at all. In fact, it was conquered 

 upon the Dry Kiver Run without a stoat or a weasel ever coming there. 

 But the steps taken in the conquest were carefully recorded and were fairly 

 well known. When other localities cared to adopt them, they could also 

 conquer their swarms. But fencing must not be relied upon, and trap- 

 ping should be absolutely prohibited. No good could possibly be done 

 until that was stopped. Bad spots could be properly cleaned out, not by 

 trapping or fumigating, but by following the old practice of using tame 

 ferrets and nets. There was nothing new to be learned about this rabbit 

 question. The mistake was when the Royal Commission in Sydney sought 

 for something new. The bladder-worm disease was as old as the hills, 

 and well known for centuries in England. It did not sweep oS the 

 rabbits, but it stopped their breeding up again. He never claimed that it 

 swept off its millions. 



3. " Further Notes on CoccididcF, with Descriptions of New 

 Species from AustraHa, Fiji, and New Zealand," by W. M. 

 Maskell, F.E.M.S. {Transactions, p. 133.) 



4. "On some Species of Psyllidce in New Zealand," by 

 W. M. Maskell. {Transactions, p. 157.) 



5. "On some Aleurodida from New Zealand and Fiji," 

 by W. M. Maskell. {Transactions, p. 170.) 



Sixth Meeting : 4th December, 1889. 

 A. de B. Brandon, President, in the chair. 

 Neiu Members. — T. H. Fraser and Archibald D. Cooper. 



It was announced that Mr. A. de B. Brandon, who had been 

 nominated by the Society, had been elected a Governor of the 

 New Zealand Institute for the ensuing year. 



Pajiers. — 1. " Eemarks on Pathogenic Microbes, and the 

 Means of preventing Diseases originating in their Introduction 

 into the System," "by W. T. L. Travers, F.L.S. {Transac- 

 tions, p. 55.) 



Sir James Hector praised the paper as an attempt to popularize the 

 recent advances in this important question. Hitherto such subjects had 

 been discussed too much as matters of special science by only a few ; 

 but the time had come when it was necessary to dispel the prevailing 

 notions on infectious diseases, as they were little better than super- 

 stitions. This could only be done by the diffusion of accurate views 

 derived from experimental science. He had within the last few weeks 

 heard an excellent lecture delivered by Dr. de Zouche in Dunedin, which 

 gave the fullest and latest information ;* and had also read the discus- 



* Vide Art. III., p. 31, supra. 



