47 



Dr. Agnew produced a fern which had been sent to the Museum for 

 the purpose of determining the nature of the small scales which were 

 thickly distributed all over it, especially on the stems. He had placed 

 two of these apparent scales under microscopes where the Fellows could 

 perceive they were in fact small animals of the Coccus tribe. The 

 following extract which he would read from "Carpenter's Zoology," 

 Vol. 2, p. 191, clearly explained their nature. " The bark of many of 

 our trees often appears warty, by reason of a great number of small 

 oval or rounded bodies, like a shield or scale, which are fixed to them, 

 and in which no external traces of the insect are to be observed. These, 

 however, are larv« belonging to the tribe (Coccms) in question. Some 

 of them are females ; others young males, which are similar to them in 

 form. At a subsequent period they all undergo singular transformations. 

 The males fix themselves to the plant, and pass into the pupa state, in 

 which they remain completely at rest, and at last emerge as winged 

 insects, coming out of their cocoons backwards, with the wings extended 

 flatly over their heads. The females on the other hand remain attached 

 to the plant, and increase in size, in consequence of the development of a 

 large number of eggs in their interior, but they undergo scarcely any 

 other change. The eggs are deposited between the lower side of the 

 body, and the surface to which it is attached; the latter having been 

 previously covered with a sort of cottony secretion. The parent then 

 dies, and her jbody dries up and becomes a solid cocoon, which covers 

 the eggs. Here the eggs are hatched ; and young larvae, which are at 

 first active in their habits, quit their envelope, and ascend to the extremi- 

 ties of the branches ; there they affix themselves by their sucking beak, 

 gradually increase in size, and lose their activity. In this ^condition 

 they pass the whole winter ; and it is not until the succeeding spring 

 that the characters of the sexes, which are henceforth to be so distinct, 

 begin to show themselves. " 



Several reports from farmers who had planted sugar-beet seed, 

 furnished by the Society, were read, the general experience being highly 

 in favour of the root as being very productive and excellent for fattening 

 stock of all kinds, 



Mr. Barnard read his promised paper describing, in detail, from the 

 latest authorities, the best method of extracting the sugar from the 

 beet. The cost of machinery capable of using up the produce of five 

 hundred acres was given and its mode of action explained. 



Discussion ensued, when the general opinion of the members seemed to 

 be that it would be imprudent at present to advise the establishment of 

 a manufactory. It was thought that the culture of beet should in the 

 first place be much more extensively introduced, so that Tasmanian 

 farmers should become familiar with its growth. 



It was also remarked that much practical experience would be gained 

 from the results of the large beet-sugar manufactory now in operation 

 near Geelong. Mr. Justin Browne mentioned that Mr. S. P. H. Wright, 

 of Glenorchy, informed him that machines of about the value of £150 

 were made for the purpose of manufacturing smaU quantities of sugar, 

 and if such machinery could be purchased, and made use of by private 

 individuals, it would be of great interest to have some definite infor- 

 mation as to their action. 



Mr. Stephens called attention to the specimen of bituminous shale 

 from Piper's Pdver, and described its geological position. It was 

 chiefly interesting as affording a new link in the carboniferous series 

 of Tasmania, and its discovery might eventually lead to important 

 results. 



Mr. Stephens also remarked that it was desirable there should be on 

 the records of the Society some account of the recent laudshp near 



