572 Proceedings. 



5. " Notes on the Entomology of New Zealand," by 



Captain J. J. Walker, of H.M S. " Ringarooina." 



The President, in introducing Captain Walker, said that probably he 

 had collected in more countries than any other entomologist. 



Abstract. 



In the course of an interesting address Cantain Walker commented 

 on the way in which the indigenous flor-i had disappeared from the older 

 settlements in New Zealand. It was astoiishmg, however, what a 

 number of the original insects seemed to hold their own where a little 

 native bush was left. When he was at Westport recently he was kept to 

 his hotel for three days and a half by continuous rain. All that time, 

 however, the Buller River was working for him by bringing beetles down 

 from a hundred miles up-couutry. On going to the be ich when the rain 

 ceased he collected specimens of n > fewer than 105 species of beetles. 

 There was a prevalent idea in England that New Zealand was a very 

 poor country for beetles. He considered, however, that it was on the 

 average quite as rich in them as any country in corresp ■ riding latitudes, 

 north or south, though possibly not so rich as Australia or Tasmania. 

 There were fully as many species of Coleoptera in New Zealand as 

 there were in the British Isles. The South Island was far better from a 

 collector's point of view than the North. At first sight the statement 

 that New Zealand was a poor country for beetles seemed to be quite true. 

 Save for members of certain species, a person mignt go all day an! see 

 only a few beetles. Most of the beetles had to be rooted and worried out. 

 If patient and persistent, a collector oou'd be sure of getting his bottle 

 full. The beach collecting in New Zealand was very interesting, and 

 Lyall Bay, near Wellington, was a good ground. He had been only five 

 months in New Zealand, and he had secured specimens of all the import- 

 ant coast beetles save one, and that he hoped to get every time he went 

 to Lyall Bay. The fauna of New Zealand was most interesting, not 

 only on account of what was represented in it, but because of what was 

 not represented. It embraced the most curious and most beautiful col- 

 lection of weevils in the world. The weevils of New Zealand ran into 

 most bizarre aud striking forms. 



Mr. R. C. Harding and Sir James Hector spoke of the intimate 

 knowledge of his subject which Captain Walker had displayed in his 

 impromptu talk. 



