447 
the author considers may only be a variety of P. socialis Moore. He also de- 
scribed a Belemnites, probably B. australis Phillips, of a very aberrant type 
of the section vHastatic. In conclusion, he considered that, as many of 
Moore’s Wollumbilla (Jurassic) fossils were found in this formation, there 
was either a confusion of type, or that the Wollumbilla beds were part of 
the lower cretaceous formation of Central and N.E. Australia. — 4) Con- 
tribution to a knowledge of the fishes of New Guinea, No. 4. By William 
Macleay, F.L.S., etc. One hundred and thirty species of Fishes are here 
recorded, chiefly from the extreme south-east of New Guinea, making, with 
those enumerated in the three previous papers, 409 species in all, collected 
by Mr. Goldie on the island. One new genus (Zetracentrum) and 33 new 
species are described, chiefly from fresh water. — 5) (Botanical). — Mr. Mac- 
leay exhibited a cast of the right mandible of Palorchestes Azael, the fossil, 
which was the subject of Mr. De Vis’ Paper. — Dr. Mackellar exhibi- 
ted portions of the liver and lungs of a sheep with large hydatid cysts, and 
also showed under the microscope specimens of the enclosed embryos. These 
probably belong to a Tapeworm (Taenia echinococcus), the proscolex stage of 
which is the cause of hydatids in the human subject, and which is developed 
as a tapeworm only in the dog; in the hydatid stage these are probably in- 
nocuous to the human subject, but further experiments are being carried 
out with a view of throwing additional light on the life-history of this tape- 
worm. — Professor Stephens exhibited a collection of fossils from »Sturt’s 
Stony Desert«, close to the Grey Ranges. Among them were specimens of 
Ammonites biflexuoides, Belemnites sp., besides other mollusca, all found at a 
depth of over 100 feet. — Mr. Whitelegge exhibited a living and vigo- 
rous specimen of Plumatella obtained in the Botany swamps. It appeared to 
be identical with P. repens Linn. — Mr. Macleay read the following letter 
from Mr. Meyrick, relative to the caterpillar exhibited by him (Mr. Macleay) 
at the last meeting: — 
»Warwick House, Armagh Street West, 
»Christchurch, N.Z., 21st May, 1883. 
»Dear Sir, 
»I observed in the Abstract of Proceedings of the last meeting of the 
Linnean Society, a note by yourself on the injury caused to cabbages by 
the great numbers of larvae of one of the Tineina, and thought you might be 
interested to know the specific name. The habits of the larva, and your 
mention of the lace-work cocoon, enable me to say for certain that the spe- 
cies is Plutella cruciferarum Zeller (family Plutellidae) which, as you rightly 
conjecture, is an importation from Europe. It occurs now throughout the 
whole world from Greenland to New Zealand, and is apparently abundant 
everywhere, not regarding climate; it is the only known Lepidopterous in- 
sect of which this can be said. It swarms in many parts of Australia, espe- 
cially at Adelaide. It has probably been imported with the cabbage, but will 
eat almost any Cruciferae. Its numbers are, I think, principally kept down 
in the larval state by small birds. The moth, though small and inconspi- 
cuous, may be readily recognised by unpractised persons from its habit of 
projecting its antennae forward when at rest, as the Trichoptera do. 
»Believe me, Yours truly, 
»Edward Meyrick. 
»Hon. William Macleay, M.L.C.« 
