Wellington Philosophical Society. 565 



Mr. Hogben said that the expedition was expected about the last 

 week of N >vember. 



The Chairman regretted that the Society would not have the oppor- 

 tunity of welcoming the party in Wellington also. 



Volume XXXIII. of the Transactions was laid on the 

 table. 



Papers. — 1. "Notes on Coleoptera," by Mr. J. H. Lewis. 

 (Transactions, p. 201.) 



Tne author explained that, with the exception of moths and butter- 

 flies, none of the orders of insects occurring in New Zealand could be 

 considered to be catalogued in even a moderately satisfactory manner. 

 The most extensive order, that of Coleoptera, was in almost as bad a 

 state as any, for although much had ueen done and a long list of 

 species published, yet tne number of coleopterous insects occurring 

 here was so great and the stuiencs so few that it would be many 

 generations before all the forms were described. Description, though 

 a dry and tedious process, was a needful preliminary to the elucidation 

 of the problems connected with distribution and variation, which were 

 the most attractive portions of the study of natural hist iry. As in 

 other orders so among beetles, the male insect" was often different 

 in form from the female. Not sufficient cognizance had been taken 

 of this fact, except where the descrioer of a species had himself been 

 able to study the injects in their homes, or where he had attached 

 some weight to the observations of the field naturalist who had collected 

 for him. Some results of this were evident in Captain Broun's list Tne 

 frequent description of identical species in New Z aland and England 

 would not cause so much troubie, as in most instances the identity was 

 obvious. It was not for him to attempt to criticize the work of the able 

 naturalist who had for a quarter of a ceoturv studied this order, but the 

 reflection suggested itself that the larger genera might very well be 

 tabulated by the only one who was at pre-ent in a position to do so. 

 Was it too hazardous to say that when a ta'de could not be prepared, 

 then the species were not distinct? He had tabulated some families with 

 much advantage to himself, but he was not anxious to publish his work 

 whil- Captain Broun was able to do the same thing in a more acourate 

 manner. 



The President said that Mr. Lewis, who for the past ten years had 

 been doing valuable work in his special department of entomology, was 

 too m< dest in his claims, and he hoped that the results of his tabulations, 

 so far as they had gone, would be publishe i. There was a vast amount of 

 this work to be done, and no naturalist could claim any prescriptive 

 rights in the field of scientific research. 



Professor Easterfield exhibited some branches of the whau 

 (Entelea arborescens) . 



He said he had gathered these specimens from the bush on 

 Sunday, in the only locality where the plant was known to exist be- 

 tween Wellington and New Plymouth, though it was found in localities 

 on the East Coast, and was abundant north of Auckland. The specimen 

 showed clusters of small pretty white flowers, also the seeds, rough and 

 spiny, like large burrs of the p ripiri. Mr. Mantell had a flowering tree 

 now growing in his garden, and at this moment was searching for 

 a specimen. [As he spoke the specimen was brought in, displaying 

 the b Id green leaves and the flowers to great advantage.] He exnibited 

 it because he thought it was little known, and was one of the m >st hand- 

 some of our many handsome shrubs, though the general form of the tree 

 was not always graceful. In the bush it grew to a height of 30 ft. He 

 understood that it was readily raised from seed. It was sometimes 



