Wellington Philosophical Society. 565 



The statement of receipts and expenditure showed that, inclusive 

 of a balance of £43 14s. lOd. brought forward from the previous financial 

 year, the receipts amounted to £141 7s. lOd. The expenditure came to 

 £94 6s. 8d., leaving a credit balance of £47 Is. 2d. The Research Fund 

 now stood at £43 12s. 9d. ; so that the total sum in hand was £90 13s. lid. 



Election of Officers for 1908. — President — Professor 

 H. B. Kirk ; Vice-Presidents — Mr. G. V. Hudson and Mr. A. 

 Hamilton ; Council— -Mr. C. E. Adams, B.Sc, Mr. J. W. Poynton, 

 Mr. T. W. Kirk, F.L.S., Dr. A. K. Newman, Dr. J. M. Bell, 

 Professor T. H. Easterfield, and Mr. Martin Chapman, K.C. ; 

 Secretary and Treasurer — Mr. Thomas King ; Auditor — Mr. 

 E. R. Dymock, A.I.A.N.Z. 



Papers. — 1. " On Phagocytes " (illustrated by microscopic 

 preparations), by Dr. C. Monro Hector. 



2. " Preliminary Note on a Metaphysical Hypothesis," by 

 Professor Maurice W. Richmond (p. 538). 



3. " The Bipolar Theory," by H. Farquhar ; communicated 

 by Professor H. B. Kirk (p. 259)/ 



4. " Description of a New Ophiurian," by H. Farquhar ; 

 communicated by Professor H. B. Kirk (p. 108). 



Exhibit. — Mr. R. Coupland Harding showed a very early 

 account (illustrated with excellent woodcuts), by the late Jona- 

 than Pereira, M.D., F.R.S., of the vegetable caterpillar of New 

 Zealand (Sphagna robertsii). 



The account was contained in an article in the first volume of " The 

 Pharmaceutical Journal " (1842), page 591. The article was chiefly 

 concerned with a species (unnamed) found in China and Thibet, closely 

 resembling S. entomorrhiza. This species (also illustrated) is much smaller 

 than the New Zealand Sphceria, averaging only 3 in. in length. It was 

 very rare, and was described by the author for the reason that it was one 

 of the most valued articles in the Chinese pharmacopoeia. Its Chinese 

 name was " Hia tsao tong tchong," or " Summer plant, winter worm." 

 In Japan it was called " Totsu-kaso." 



