182 Transactions. — Zoology. 



beasts will exterminate the kea, but I do not see that this will be any gain, 

 because, in coming in contact with the kea, they cannot avoid finding wounded 

 and dying sheep, which they would attack, and this, with the slaughtering 

 of sheep on the out-stations, would be to them the best possible training for 

 sheep-killing, if any is necessary ; and any larger beast or any bird that 

 would attack the kea would have no hesitation in killing sheep also. As to 

 the question of extirpating these beasts where they may become a pest, the 

 following example from Wood's "Natural History" is worth noticing: A 

 number of rats established themselves by a fishpond, devouring the fish and 

 doing much other mischief, so that the owner was much pleased when a colony 

 of weasels came and, having killed or driven away the rats, settled in their 

 place. For a time all went well, but presently, other food failing them, the 

 weasels began to kill rabbits, poultry, etc., so that the owner became as 

 desirous to destroy them as he had been the rats, but he failed to do so, and 

 the weasels remained in triumphant possession. 



Mr. T. Bent, M.L.A., of Victoria, is of opinion, as the result of informa- 

 tion gathered on a visit to India, that the mungoos will become as great a 

 pest in these colonies as the rabbit. This result would equally attend the 

 naturalization of either ichneumons or weasels, as the former are prac- 

 tically but tropical weasels and probably resemble them in nature and 

 habits much more than I have stated. 



The importation of these beasts should therefore be stopped and those 

 already at liberty destroyed, at whatever cost ; if this be done without delay, 

 I do not think it is now too late to extirpate them. 



For further information on the Mitstelidce and Viverridce see Wood's 

 "Natural History" and the "Encyclopedia Britannica," Arts. Ermine, 

 Ferret, Fur, Ichneumon, Mammalia, and those on northern countries. 



Aet. XIX. — A short Description of a few Experiments bearing on the Question 



of Spontaneous Generation. By Dr. J. Hudson. 



[Read before the Nelson Philosophical Society, 3rd November, 1884.] 



The few remarks contained in this short paper, are written with the object 



of eliciting discussion. 



The question of spontaneous generation is not by any means a new one, 

 nor is it confined to the learned, for I have frequently heard ignorant 

 hospital patients account for the parasites with which they were infested, by 

 saying that they bred them, meaning that they arose spontaneously, and 

 that no amount of care would prevent their development. Practically, the 



