603 Proceedings. 



ready to ask advice as to the means of treating their trees and improving 

 their propertj', but nobody seemed to recollect that their adviser might 

 have economic necessities of his own, or to think it necessary to offer the 

 least remuneration for the advice. But, principally, he found that, what- 

 ever counsels might be given, the chief object of many persons seemed to 

 be to introduce at once confusion and uncertaint}'. For example, in the 

 case of Phylloxera, which is now well established in New Zealand, in view 

 of the wretched obstructiveness of the colonists he had considered it his 

 duty to strongly recommend to the Government and to Parliament the 

 total destruction of all vines in the infected districts. At once the news- 

 papers threw, as it were, a wet blanket over the proposal by terming it 

 " drastic " — a word which frightened everybody. ^Members of Parliament, 

 with a general election in view, declined to study the real interests of 

 their constituents in comparison with their votes, and so nothing was 

 done ; and Phylloxera is now spreading at its own sweet will through the 

 North Island. In fact, the " economic " side of the matter was enough 

 to sicken anybody, and he had in the present paper left it entirely 

 aside. 



The President said that Mr. Maskell's remarks on this subject were 

 most interesting, given, as they had been to-night, in a popular manner, 

 and quite within the capacity of all to understand and apply. He con- 

 sidered that Mr. jNIaskell's work had not only a great ssientific value, but 

 had been most beneficial to agriculture generally. 



2. " On the Habits and Life-history of the New Zealand 

 Glowworm," bv G. V. Hudson, F.E.S. (Transactions ^ 

 p. 43.) 



Mr. Travers said that these worms were first mentioned by Hoch- 

 stetter, but he did not think that they had been described. 



Mr. Maskell : Has the light been microscopically examined ? Could 

 it possibly be phosphorescent Infusoria ? It might not be at the will of 

 the insect that the light went out, as described by Mr. Hudson. He was 

 sorry that Mr. Hudson did not describe the insect himself, instead of 

 sending it to some one else to do. He thought Mr. Hudson was quite able 

 to describe his own insects. 



Mr. Poynton was of opinion that the extinction of the light was quite 

 a voluntary action on the part of the worm. He had seen numbers on 

 the West Coast, and was quite satisfied of this. 



Mr. Hudson, in reply, said that he was confident that the extinction 

 of the light of the glowworm was a voluntary act on the part of the larva, 

 and, as such, could not possibly be duo to parasitic Infusoria. It was 

 also almost incredible that an aggregation of animalculse could give such 

 a brilliant light. He felt sure that the organ he had described produced 

 the light at the will of the insect, but its use he was entirely unable to 

 explain. 



Sixth Meeting : 29th October, 1890. 

 C. Hulke, F.C.S., President, in the chair. 



It was announced that, in conformity with the Act, Mr. Charles 

 Hulke had been nominated to vote in the election of Governors of the 

 New Zealand Institute for the ensuing year. 



Papers. — 1. " An Exhibition of New and Interesting Forms 

 of New Zealand Birds, with Eemarks thereon," by Sir Walter 

 Buller, K.C.M.G., F.E.S. {Transactions, p. 36.) 



