Wellijigton Philosophical Society. 653 



kinds of antics, and in fact exliibited intelligence in a remark- 

 able manner. He referred to a former paper that he had read 

 before the Society on the same subject. 



Mr. Travers quite bore out what Mr. McKay had said of the wonderful 

 antics of these birds, and he related several remarkable instances of 

 their intelligence. This specimen appeared larger than usual. 



Sir James Hector said this was the bird that caused so much trouble 

 with sheep. He first found them settled on the plant known as the 

 "vegetable sheep," and this had no doubt led them to attack the sheep 

 itself. 



A collection of live specimens of PerijMhcs naves - sea- 

 landia, collected by Mr. Stuart Duncan at Porirua, was 

 exhibited by Sir James Hector, who pointed out that the great 

 anatomical interest of this insect, which is probably the an- 

 cestral form of all insects and spiders, has of late further 

 increased through the recent discovery by Professor Adam 

 Sedgwick, of Cambridge University, of a minute structure 

 of the cell-wall in certain tissues which throws light on the 

 mechanism of the functions of reproduction. 



Mr. Travers pointed out that he first found this insect in New Zealand, 

 and gave specimens to Mr. Moseley, of H.M.S. " Challenger," who wrote a 

 monograph on it, and it had since been dealt with by Professor Balfour. 

 It is found in Chili, New Zealand, the Cape of Good Hope, and in the 

 West Indies. This peculiar distribution goes to prove that there must 

 have been a connection between these lands in former times. 



Thied Meeting: 26th July, 1S93. 

 Major-General Schaw, President, in the chair. 



Neio Member. — Mr. George Allen. 



Papers. — 1. " Additional Notes on Rainbows," by T. B. 

 Harding ; communicated by E. C. Harding. {Transactions, 

 p. 481.) 



General Schaw said it was quite possible to have a bow formed by the 

 reflected sun ; he had explained this in his paper on Rainbows. 



2. "On the Occurrence of Xantliium stricmarium, Limn., 

 in New Zealand," by T. W. Kirk, F.L.S. (Transactions, 

 p. 310.) 



Sir J. Hector said he had pokited out at a previous meeting the 

 spread of a plant named Homaria, in Australia, and its injurious effect 

 on cattle, producing symptoms that resembled those of anthrax. One 

 species, with a handsome flower, was not uncommon in New Zealand 

 gardens. He thought that not only ballast, but the soil in wardian 

 cases, should be dismfected. 



Mr. Travers said that he had often found quantities of insects and 

 noxious plants in cases received from other countries. He had frequently 

 urged the authorities to have such cases carefully examined, and the soil 

 calcined, and all living things destroyed ; but nothing had been done. 



