394 Transactions. — Miscellaneous. 



I have much pleasure in exhibiting a drawer of charac- 

 teristic insects from the Humboldt Range. Amongst the more 

 interesting species in this box may be mentioned Erebia 

 butleri, Xanthorhoe cataphracta, Cerozodia plumosa (I always 

 regret that I did not secure a good series of well-set examples 

 of this Tipula), a large weevil at present unnamed, and the 

 very striking ichneumon-fly Bhyssa antipodum, which, by the 

 way, also occurs at Mount Arthur. A host of smaller species 

 could also be added. 



There is no doubt that this range and the others in the 

 neighbourhood, which are forest-clad at their base, would 

 amply repay a further and much more exhaustive examina- 

 tion than has yet been given to them. Although I ascended 

 the Humboldt Range on three occasions during my week's 

 visit, I was only able to devote a few hours each time to 

 actual collecting, so much time generally being lost in making 

 the ascent and descent. To adequately work the range a 

 permanent camp should be formed at about 3,000 ft. or 

 higher, if possible, and expeditions made from this base in 

 various directions. 



As we fortunately have now several trained entomologists 

 in the far south of New Zealand, expeditions on their part 

 into the mountains at the head of either Lake Wakatipu or 

 Lake Te Anau should not present any formidable difficulties 

 or serious cost, and I feel confident that a thorough in- 

 vestigation of the insect fauna of these mountains would be 

 rewarded by many interesting discoveries. 



I should add that I spent three days on the eastern side 

 of Lake Wakatipu at Glenorchy, but found the ranges there 

 comparatively barren of insect life. These ranges are bare 

 from base to summit, having no trace of forest on them, and 

 they well exemplify a fact which I mentioned before — i.e., 

 that the most productive mountains for entomological work 

 are those rising out of dense forests. I have invariably 

 noticed this in all my entomological expeditions in New 

 Zealand. 



Before concluding this address a few remarks on the value 

 of field natural history and collecting as educational pursuits 

 may not perhaps be deemed inappropriate. Although it is 

 very probable that I am inclined to overrate the importance 

 of natural-history studies generally, yet there are still some, 

 even amongst scientific men, who I fear are inclined to under- 

 value the work accomplished by collectors. It should, how- 

 ever, be borne in mind that many of our most successful 

 philosophers and scientists have sprung from the ranks of 

 mere collectors, and have not all been produced by the 

 more orthodox, though less original, methods of universities 



