Wellington Philosophical Society. 15 



Exhibits. — Messrs. C. E. Adams and A. Hamilton exhibited specimens 

 of kenyite from Mount Erebus, which had been received from Professor 

 David, of Sydney, a member of the " Nimrod " Antarctic exploring ex- 

 pedition. 



Second Meeting : Srd June, 1908. 

 Professor H. B. Kirk, President, in the chair. 

 New Members.— VioiessoT D. K. Picken, M.A., Mr. R. M. Sunley, and Mr. 

 George Marriner. 



The President reported that a letter had been received from Lady Hector, 

 thanking the Society for the resolution passed on the 6th May, in reference 

 to the death of Sir James Hector. 



The President announced that the Editor of the " Transactions and Pro- 

 ceedings of the New Zealand Institute " had drawn up a memorandum of 

 hints to authors of papers intended for publication in the volume. 



He said it was important that authors should be guided by these hints. Printed 

 copies of the memorandum could be obtained from the Secretary on application. 



Papers. — 1. " Some Little-known New Zealand Fish," by H. C. Field. 



2. " Fern Notes," by H. C. Field. 



3. " Notes on a New Zealand Actinian [Bunodes aureoradiata) ,'" by 



F. G. A. Stuckey, B.A. 



The Chairman complimented ]\Ir. Stuckey on the work which he had done. Mr. 

 Stuckey possessed powers of keen observation, and was gifted with great manipulatory 

 skill in preparing objects for microscopic examination. 



4. "On the Chrysalis of an AustraUan Wood-boring Moth found in Wel- 

 lington, New Zealand," by A. Hamilton. 



On the 22nd February a lady brought to me a very large chrysalis from which a 

 moth had partly emerged. She had found it in a dry ditch at the side of a road in 

 Northlands, an upland part of the city. According to her description, the ground, 

 •which rises rapidly on the upper side of the road, was covered with small scrubby 

 bush, and to her it appeared as if the chrysalis had fallen down the bank into the 

 ditch from the bush above. It was very lively, and made desperate struggles to 

 escape from the chrysalis. The head and part of one wing were free, but the free 

 wing was crippled and dry. In order to give it as good a chance as possible, it 

 was placed in a box with damp earth, and subsequently steamed, but after four or 

 five clays it died. 



The moth was a very large female, and covered with eggs. The grey down on the 

 body was strong and well developed, but nothing could be made out of the pattern on 

 the wings. It was apparent, however, that it belonged to the large group of cossid moths 

 which in Australia pass a great portion of their life in the various species of hardwood 

 .trees, and especially the gums. 



After the death of the specimen I sent it to Mr. J. 0. Tepper, the entomological 

 expert of the Museum of South Australia, at Adelaide, and asked for some information 

 concerning it. Mr. Tepper promptly replied, and was kind enougli to send not only the 

 notes, but such specimens as he could spare to illustrate his remarks. The accidental 

 introduction of insects in timber is worth recording, more especially if there is any reason 

 to fear damage to our native or acclimatised timber trees. In this case, had the weather 

 conditions been more favourable there is little doubt but that this female cossid would 

 have been able to discharge her eggs, but the probabilities are that, even if they proved 

 -fertile, the young caterpillar would not have found food suited to them — or the 

 •temperature. 



This is not the first instance of such introductions, as last year Mr. Kingsley showed 

 Tne a large moth closely allied to the species which had been found alive in Nelson, and 

 ■which probably had been hatched from a chrysalis* enclosed in imported timber. 



* Mr. Meyrick records the occurrence of Cossiis literatus in New Zealand, and as 

 •emerging from imported timber (Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxii, p. 204). 



