REMARKS ON SPH^ERIA ROBERTS! AND S. SINENSIS. 201 



uncommon in New Zealand. It is found at the root of trees, princi- 

 pally under the 3Ietrosiderous robusta, a myrtaceous plant. 



The account giveii by tiie natives who gathered the specimens for 

 me, as far as I can learn, is that they are found in the earth under and 

 around trees. In living state the caterpillars are whitish, and crawl 

 in tlie earth like worms, and from that they change into their present 

 state, and the fungus grows up out of the ground as far as the capitulum 

 extends by which they are found. 



The natives are very fond of eating the caterpillars when in a living 

 state, and when roasted they say they are so fat that the oil runs out of 

 them. Tliey are considered a great delicacy. 



Sph^ria Sinensis. — Tiie specimen I possess of this rare fungus 

 was brought to England by Mr. Reeves; the description is taken from 

 those given by Du Halde, Reeves, Pereira, and Thunberg. 



This extraordinary production, including the caterpillar, is about 

 four inches in length, it is a native of China and Thibet. *' The 

 Chinese appear to regard it as partaking at one season of the year 

 of animal, at another of vegetable nature. Du Halde* calls it Hia-tsao- 

 t07i-tcho7ig, (i. e., summer plant winter worm.) Mr. Reeves says that 

 it is better known at Canton in tlie common dialect as Ton-chong-ha- 

 cho, which means winter worm summer plant. 



Mr. Reeves states that " it is brought to Canton tied up in bundles, each 

 containing about a dozen specimens, each of wliicii is about three inches 

 long. About one-half is a caterpillar of the usual cylindrical form, 

 and a ligiit yellowish brown colour. The head, neck, segments of the 

 body, and legs (thoracic) ventral and anal are all distinctly recognisable. 

 Projecting from tl)e back part of the head is a slender club-shaped 

 body, this is the fungus." 



Du Halde says, " the insect fungus is scarce, and that at Pekin it is 

 considered to be a foreign production ;" he adds, " it grows in Thibet, 

 but is found also, though in small quantities, on the frontiers of the 

 province of Le-tchuen, which borders on Thibet or Laza." 



Thunberg also states, " that it is reputed to possess cordial virtues." 

 But, according to Du Halde, " its properties are considered to be 

 similar to those q{ ging-sing." It strengthens and renovates the powers 

 of the system which has been reduced either by over exertion or long 

 sickness. 



'' The physicians of the Emperor of China state that they only use 

 it in the palace on account of its scarcity. Black, old, and rotten spe- 

 cimens cost four times their weight in silver. 



" The mode of employing it is very curious. A duck is stuffed with 

 five ounces of the insect fungus, and the bird boiled on a slow fire. 

 "When done, take out the fungus, the virtues of which will have past 

 into tiie duck's flesh, whicii is to be eaten twice a day for eight or ten 

 days." — Peieira. 



I cannot in justice omit to mention that I am indebted to the lady 

 of the Rev. W. Woon, of Wasmate Pevanaki Looth, in New Zealand, 



* Descriptione Geographique et Historique de la China, vol, iii, page 490. 



