290 Royal Society : — 



cured eggs of the first six, also of six Petrels, one Albatross, and two 

 Penguins. The Thalassidromce are preparing for laying. 



Pish are rather scarce in Observatory Bay. Only three species 

 have hitherto occurred to us, two of which are common under 

 stones at low water. The remains of a Rata have also been 

 picked up on one of the islands by an officer of the ' Volage ;' but 

 hardly sufficient is left to enable the species to be determined. It 

 is allied to R. clavata and JR. radiata. 



The entomology of the island is very interesting. Most of the 

 larger insects seem to be incapable of night. I have found repre- 

 sentatives of the orders Lepidoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera, and 

 Collembola. 



The Lepidoptera comprise a species of the Noctuina(as I suppose) 

 and one of the Tineina. Of the first I have not yet reared the 

 imago; the larva is a moss-eater and subterranean: the adult is 

 probably as large as an Agrotis of medium size. The species of 

 Tineina is probably one of the Gelechiidas, judging from the form 

 of the palpi. Its larva feeds on young shoots of Festucce, and 

 sometimes spins a silken cocoon for the pupa. The imago, of 

 which the sexes are alike, has acute and very abbreviated wings, 

 and the posterior pair extremely minute. In repose the antenna) 

 are widely separated and almost divaricate. When the sun shines 

 the adult is active, and, if alarmed, jumps to a distance of two or 

 three inches at a time. During its passage through the air the 

 wings are vibrated. 



The Diptera are represented by species of the Tipulidae and 

 Muscidae. There are three of the former family. One of them is a 

 small species of the Cecidomyida?, which is abundant in mossy places, 

 and presents no marked peculiarity. Another seems to be a de- 

 graded member of the Tipulidae. The antennae have six joints, the 

 palpi two ; the wings are lignlate and very minute. It possesses 

 halteres, and the female has the ovipositor enclosed in an exposed 

 sheath. Although it is unable to fly, it lives upon rocks in the sea 

 which are covered at high' water, and there it deposits its eggs in 

 tufts of Enteromorpha. The third species has full-sized wings ; it 

 was caught in the house. The indigenous Muscidae are very sluggish 

 in their movements, and are incapable of flight. Four species are 

 common about here. Oue of them is abundant on Pringlea, crawl- 

 ing over the leaves. "When it is approached it feigns to be dead, 

 and, tucking up its legs, drops down into the axils of the leaves ; 

 or if it happens to be upon a plane surface, one need only look 

 at it closely, and it throws itself promptly upon its back and 

 remains motionless until the threatened danger is over, when it 

 gradually ventures to move its limbs and struggle to regain its 

 footing. Its wings are represented by minute gemmules ; and it 

 possesses halteres. The ovipositor is extended, its apical joint 

 alone being retracted. The penis is porrected beneath the abdomen, 

 where it tits into a notch at the apex of the penultimate segment. 

 The larva feeds on decaying vegetable matter. Another species 

 occurs on dead birds and animals, as well as beneath stones near 



