488 Proceedings. 



2. "On the Natural History of Three Species of Micro- 

 lepidoptcra,'" by G. V. Hudson. {Transactions, p. 189.) 



3. " On the Mole-cricket in New Zealand {Gryllotalija 

 vulgaris)," by T. W. Kirk, F.E.M.S. {Transactions, p. 233.) 



Mr. Hudson remarked that the mole-cricket had been the subject of 

 many interesting memoirs on the anatomy of insects, and its arrival 

 would therefore be interesting to entomologists. He did not think it was 

 likely to do as much harm as the author thought. 



Mr. Brandon said it was a pity this insect should have been introduced, 

 and he thought information should be circulated as to the best means of 

 getting rid of it. 



The President remarked that from an entomological point of view the 

 occurrence here of these mole-crickets was interesting. As for their hurt- 

 ful propensities, opinions seemed to be divided ; but it should always be 

 remembered that comparisons between New Zealand and England were 

 not always correct, on account of the difference of climate. He, how- 

 ever, took the opportunity of saying that experience in this country 

 seemed to point to the fact that imported animals, probably both useful 

 and noxious, unless fostered in some special way, after greatly increasing 

 for some time, appeared to decrease. As instances of this, in connection 

 with useful animals, might be taken the pheasants and partridges, which 

 m some parts of the colony — for example. North Canterbury and Amuri — 

 after growing into such numbers that they might be seen in every pad- 

 dock, were now becoming rare, if not very rare. Doubtless poachers, 

 cats, fires, rats, &c., had something to do with this ; but he thought they 

 did not account for all of it. Nor could it be said that these birds were 

 not adapted to the country, else why had they increased so largely? In 

 like manner, he was informed, one of our worst insect-enemies, Iccrya 

 puTcJiasi, is supposed to be doing much less damage than formerly, if it is 

 not, indeed, dying out altogether. It may be that some law obtains 

 whereby new importations, good or bad, useful or noxious, flourish with 

 excessive fertility for a while, and then are apt to die out. Perhaps this 

 would be the case even with the rabbit ; perhaps also these mole-crickets 

 would come under the same law. 



Mr. Park did not think there was any great danger to be apprehended 

 from the rapid spread of the mole-cricket, which, according to Mr. Kirk's 

 own statement, had only increased at the rate of 100 per cent, in seven 

 years. He thought there was nothing in this to alarm farmers or gar- 

 deners. 



Mr. Kirk, in reply, said that the farmers and market-gardeners had a 

 much more lively interest in the mole-cricket than entomologists had, as 

 they would be direct losers should the insect increase rapidly, while the 

 scientists' interest was purely intellectual. He had not stated that the 

 insect had only increased at the rate of 100 per cent. ; he merely said 

 that only three specimens had fallen into his hands : but he had not 

 looked for them, and probably, now attention had been directed to the 

 subject, we should find that many other persons had observed the crea- 

 ture without knowing what it was. 



-"o 



4. " On the Supposed Occurrence of Two Sets of Green- 

 sand-beds at Waihao Forks, South Canterbury," by Alexander 

 McKay, F.G.S. 



Abstract. 



This paper dealt chiefly with certain mistakes and misapprehensions 

 contained in previous papers on the geology of the Waihao Valley, and 

 explained some matters complained of in Professor Hutton's last paper 

 on this subject. In vol. xix. of "Transactions of the New Zealand In- 



