Maskell. — On some Gall-inoducing Insects. 253 



The New Zealand species I have found most abundant on 

 specimens of Paranephrops neo-zelanicus from the Avon and 

 Heathcote ; but I have also found it on P. planifrons from 

 Nelson, and I have seen its egg-cases on specimens of the 

 same species from Napier and Greymouth. It is also found on 

 Dunedin specimens of P. neo-zelanicus, but I have not noticed 

 it on specimens of P. planifrons from Roto-iti, the Thames, 

 and Manukau Harbour. 



It should perhaps rather be called a commensal than a 

 parasite, for it can scarcely derive any direct nourishment from 

 the hard exoskeleton of its host : according to Haswell, it lives 

 on small AmjjJiipoda, and it is certainly capable of living for 

 months away from the host, as is shown by the following 

 fact : On the 14th September, 1885, some specimens of Para- 

 nephrops neo-zelanicus were brought to me with numerous 

 specimens of Temnocephala novcB- Zealand ice adhering to them. 

 I kept the crayfish alive in a glass jar till the 16th, when I put 

 them in spirit, and during this time some of the Temnocephala 

 detached themselves and moved on to some watercress and 

 river-weed in the jar, and here some of them continued to live 

 until the 16th January, 1886, just four months after they had 

 left the crayfish. The specimen seen on this date appeared 

 quite healthy and vigorous ; but I lost sight of it, and did not 

 see it again after that day. 



Aet. XXX. — On some Gall-prod^icing Insects in Neiv Zea- 

 land. 



By W. M. Maskell, F.R.M.S. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 17th November, ISSS."] 



Plates XI. and XII. 



A COMMON plant in gardens in this country is a native shrub — 

 Olearia furfuracea — usually known to settlers by the name of 

 ake-ake, though the true Maori name is ake-piro. It is a 

 somewhat straggling bush with light-green leaves, the under 

 sides of which are whitish ; the leaves much " crimped." The 

 flowers are small, yellowish, appearing in autumn, and have a 

 faint scent resembling that of the lilac. The plant has no 

 particular pretensions to beauty, but it grows fast to some 

 ten or twelve feet in height, and is useful enough as shelter in 

 a garden. 



This Olearia is much subject to the attacks of a couple of 

 minute insects, which, though they belong to two quite 



