436 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



My experiments were carried out at night. They were 

 simple. The asphalted yard was thoroughly wetted and the 

 kitchen gas-jet lighted. This threw its light both on the as- 

 phalt and on a paling fence. On putting on my overcoat and 

 going close to the fence I was greatly astonished to find, in 

 the shadow, my lower limbs apparently as high as my waist. 

 So far, then, all was well, the newly discovered species of 

 Ron t gen ray acting beautifully ; but, alas ! when my overcoat 

 touched the ground, preventing light passing between it and 

 the asphalt, the phenomenon vanished. At the same time the 

 shadow lost its transparency and became black. On the coat, 

 which is perfectly opaque, being raised the phenomenon re- 

 appeared. On holding the coat out with one hand and with 

 the other placing my hat behind the coat, nothing of the hat 

 could be seen in the shadow, but when the hat was lowered 

 until its rim was below the edge of the overcoat that part of 

 the hat was seen higher up in the shadow, appearing like a 

 whole hat. On another occasion, using a piece of board and a 

 stick, two distinct shadows were cast, showing the stick not 

 joined, but well separated. 



It appears, therefore, to be pretty clear that the light does 

 not pass through the clothing, and that the phenomenon is 

 caused by reflected light blending with the original shadow 

 and casting an elongated shadow of that part of one's lower 

 limbs below the dress or cloak into the original shadow, thus 

 producing the appearances already described. This "strange 

 freak of light " mav therefore be well classed among the 

 optical illusions. 



Art. LIV. — The Bite of the Katipo. 

 By Dr. Fyffe. 



[Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, loth January, 1901.] 



The short paper I have to lay before you is, I fear, devoid of 

 any great scientific interest. Its only merit lies in the fact 

 that, as far as I can ascertain, no proper account has ever 

 been given of the exact effects of the bite of a katipo (Latro- 

 dectus katipo). I fear, though I will try to be as little 

 technical as I can, the description of tins case must be tinged 

 with medical terms. Any such terms I will with pleasure 

 explain afterwards if it is deemed necessary. 



On the 29th November, 1900, D. H. came to me from 

 Petone. He stated that he had been collecting drift-wood on 

 the beach, and while doing so he felt a sudden sharp pain on 



