288 Transactions. 



Fig. 3. Another larva in which the first pair of appendages, those of the 

 peristome, have lost their chsetae, and are developing as ten- 

 tacles. Prostoniial tentacles and anal Oerci appearing. Flagella 

 present. Two pairs of eyes on the peristomal m in addition to 

 the pair on the prostomium. Length. 098 mm. 



Fig. 4. An older larva. Length, 108 mm. 



Fig. 5. Ventral surface of head of specimen figured in fig. 4, but drawn 

 twenty-four hours later. In the second segment the noto- 

 podium it tentacle - like, while the neuropodium still bears 

 chsetse. 



Fig. 6. Dorsal view of the head of the same specimen after another twenty- 

 four hours. The prostoniial eyes have disappeared. 



Art. XXIII. — Description of a New Species of Veronica (Linn.). 



By D. Petrie, M.A. 



[Read before the Auckland Institute, 28th August, 1907.] 



Veronica Astoni, sp. nov. 



V. Veronicce tetragonal (Hook.) simillima, humilior (2-3 dern. 

 alta), gracilior, arctissime ramosa. 



Rami ultimi gracillimi, valde conferti, perobscure aut nequa- 

 quam tetragoni. 



Folia arete quadrifariam imbricata, paribus oppositis basi 

 connatis, \\ mm. longa, basi seque lata, subtriangulata, tumida, 

 valde obtusa et apice rotundata, dorso baud carinata, superne 

 late concava ; juniora margine subciliata, prove ctiora glaber- 

 rima. 



Flores pauci, parvi, in apicibus ramulorum subsessiles, circa 

 3 mm. lati, floribus V. tetragonal (Hook.) simillimi, sed omni 

 a parte minores. 



Fructus adhuc ignotus. 



Crescit in scopulosis jugis [Montis Hector apud Tararua 

 Montes in insula boreali Novse-Zelandife. 



Floret in mensibus Januario et Februario. 



The present species of Veronica is closely allied to V. tetragona 

 (Hook.), but differs constantly in a number of characters, as 

 set forth above. Its habit of growth s very distinct, as it 

 forms low dense rounded or flattened bushes, with branchlets 

 so closely compacted as to be almost touching. The older 

 stems are round, glabrous, and marked by very numerous 

 shallow transverse scars formed by the leaf-traces. The top 

 _' in. give off great numbers of short branchlets, many of which 

 branch again. Nearly all the slender branchlets fall away in 

 ace. so that the main branches show but little bifurcation. 



