Field. — Oil Coixliceps robertsii. 623 



that, should others of this character be found, some steps may 

 be taken to preserve them, even at the risk of transportation 

 to the town Gardens. 



The trunk is simple for about 2-|ft. ; but I am unable to 

 say how much was left on the stump or removed before the 

 specimen reached the Museum. It then commences to divide 

 into eight nearly equal divisions, five of which are united 

 together almost in one plane ; the other three are more or less 

 separated. The average height of these divisions is about 4ft. 



Akt. LXIII. — On Curdiceps robertsii. 



By H. C. Field. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 31st July, 1695.] 



The term " vegetable caterpillar " is a corruption of the old 

 name of " vegetating caterpillar," by which the Sphoeria was 

 called forty or fifty years ago by those colonists who then took 

 interest in scientific matters, and which properly describes the 

 curiosity as a caterpillar which apparently developes into or 

 produces a plant. I think it a pity that our Transactions should 

 be disfigured by a vulgar corruption, however common. 



Sphoerias are far more common than is geuerallj^ supposed. 

 As many as fifteen or twenty have occasionally been found, in 

 my presence, in the course of a few hours, when forming a 

 short length of side-cutting, and no doubt many others were 

 dug up without b"ing observed. This has always occurred in 

 koromiko scrub or the hghtest of scrubby bush — rangiora, 

 karamu, tutu, &c. Though I have heard it asserted that 

 Sphoerias were generally found under rata-trees, I never yet 

 met with one in such a situation, but have often seen them dug 

 out in places a mile or more from a rata. Although, as a rule, 

 there is only one shoot, and that proceeding from the back of 

 the caterpillar's neck, yet an instance is recorded, I think in 

 our Transactions, of shoots proceeding from both ends of 

 the insect. It often happens, too, that, if the original shoot 

 has been broken off by any accident, a second one springs up 

 alongside it to replace it. Again, it is by no means unusual for 

 the shoot to fork above ground and produce two spikes of 

 sporangia, and these sometimes fork again ; so that, in one 

 instance which one of my sons found at Momahaki, beyond 

 Waitotara, there were eight or more spikes. 



As regards the main question started in Sir W. Buller's 

 paper,* I may note that, if a Sphoeria is divided longitudinally, 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxvii., art. xii. 



