474 LinruBan Society. 



stantly seen in the early part of summer, in the hot sunshine, on 

 hawthorn hedges, when the larvae of Pavonia are feeding. It appears 

 to be the common parasite of the Emperor Moth, in one cocoon of 

 which were the dead pupa of the moth, together with ten living 

 pupse of the fly. In other cocoons there were nine, seven, six, fo r 

 three, and two respectively, and in one instance only a single parasite. 

 The pupa of the moth, ia each instance, had been perforated by the 

 parasites, which thus appear to effect their escape into the cocoon, 

 in the larva state, and then into pupse ; as is the case with the Hyme- 

 nopterous larva of Ophion luteum which infests the puss moth. The 

 pupa of this parasite on Pavonia differs from that of the Earwig in 

 its surface retaining distinct roughened annular indications of the 

 twelve segments of the body of the larva, and also in the breathing 

 or"-ans being marked by three slight protuberances on each side, at 

 the posterior extremity, above the anus. 



The author also described and exhibited two remarkable cocoons 

 of the Emperor Moth. One of these had two perfect outlets, but 

 in other respects was a single cocoon, and had contained only one 

 pupa from which the moth had been developed. The other was a 

 lar"-e flattened cocoon, which, examined externally, appeared but as 

 a sino-le structure, but when opened was found to have been the 

 joint production of two larva. It was divided internally, by a septum, 

 into two chambers, to which, however, this double cocoon had but 

 one outlet. One of the larvse had died before changing to a pupa. 

 The other had changed and had afterwards produced the moth, but 

 which had been unable to liberate itself from the cocoon, owing to 

 the obstacle opposed to its egress by the septum. It had become 

 impacted, and had died in the cocoon in its attempts to escape through 

 the outlet. 



June 21. — Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Read a " Sketch of the Vegetation around Wellington, New Zea- 

 land." By T. S. Ralph, Esq., A.L.S. 



This sketch was prepared by Mr. Ralph, during his voyage above 

 alluded to from Wellington to Port Phillip, from his notes made upon 

 the spot. He describes the town of Wellington as situated at the 

 southern extremity of a large port, of about 9 miles in length and 

 varying in breadth from 4 to 6 miles, surrounded by hills which are 

 in many places covered to their summit with trees and shrubs. 

 These hills, being composed almost entirely of a claystone rock, 

 present a marked feature of roundness and abruptness without sharp- 

 ness, and precipitous declivities full of channels and gullies from 

 top to bottom. Wellington itself is built on t'vo flats, with an in- 

 tervenino- beach-line of houses to connect them, so that the town 

 possesses but a small space of level land, which some ten year.s since 

 is said to have been covered with dense bush, in which the settlers 

 had no difficulty in losing themselves. But all the hills in the vicinity 

 of the shore have had their timber felled, and the grouud has since 

 become covered with an undergrowth, chiefly composed of Lc/j<o- 



