156 Transactions. — Zoology. 



with the body, curving and twisting somewhat before emerg- 

 ing at the surface of the ground. 



In most specimens the stem is more or less twisted and 

 sometimes bifurcate before it reaches the surface, after which 

 it assumes a perfectly erect character, the fructification being 

 at the top, 3in. or 4in. of the terminal part being covered 

 with closely-set spores, having externally a granulate appear- 

 ance. The longest stems I have met with ordinarily measure 

 7in. or Sin. from the insertion to the extreme tip. 



I trust I have made myself sufficiently clear, but the 

 peculiarity I have been describing is better seen on the ac- 

 companying plate (reduced from a photograph), in which 

 fig. 1 represents this abnormal form. Figs. 2 and 3 on the 

 same plate exhibit the Vegetable Caterpillar as it is ordinarily 

 met with (upper and lower aspect), the smaller of the two 

 showing the branched process I have mentioned, about an inch 

 from its head. Fig. 4 illustrates the curved manner in which 

 the caterpillar sometimes disposes its body before undergoing 

 its final transmutation into fungus. The body of the speci- 

 men represented by fig. 1 measures 75mm., and its stem, 

 measured in a straight line, 150mm. Although the cater- 

 pillars are of about equal size, the stem of No. 1, owing to its 

 eccentric manner of growth, is 2-5in. longer than that of 

 No. 2. (The body of the largest of the caterpillars here 

 figured measures exactly 3in. in length.) 



The popular notion that the Vegetable Caterpillar is found 

 only under rata and kauri trees is quite an erroneous one. It 

 is abundant in the southern parts of the North Island, where 

 the kauri does not exist, and I have found it in localities from 

 which the rata is entirely absent — for example, in small 

 clumps of bush in the Taupo country. Indeed, it may be 

 looked for in all suitable places, although, as a rule, it is more 

 numerous near the summits of the wooded ranges, the fungus 

 shooting up its little stem, like a miniature bulrush, among the 

 dead leaves and decaying vegetation which cover the ground 

 in such situations, often to the depth of several inches. After 

 scraping away this surface covering it is necessary to dig out 

 the Vegetable Caterpillar very carefully with a sheath-knife, 

 the slightest attempt at forcing it up breaking the stem and 

 destroying the specimen. Sometimes several are found 

 grouped together within a foot of each other ; but it requires 

 a practised eye to distinguish the tiny stem among its sur- 

 roundings of a similar hue. It is often rooted up and eaten 

 by the wild pigs, and in the Taupo country I found the Wood- 

 hen digging up and devouring it. When fresh it has a 

 pleasant nut-like flavour. 



