Auckland Institute. 523, 



Sixth Meeting. 2\st September^ 1874. 



His Honour Sir G. A. Amey, President, in the chair. 



New members. — Gr. Johnston, R. Rose, Lieutenant T. C. Tilly, RN. 



Mr. T. Kirk, F.L.S., of Wellington, was chosen to vote in the election of 

 tho Board of Governors for the ensuing year, in accordance with clause 7 of 

 the New Zealand Institute Act. 



The nomination for the election of honorary members of the New Zealand 

 Institute was made, in accordance with Statute IV. 



An animated discussion took place on Mr. Firth's paper, on " Deep 

 Sinking in the Volcanic Beds of Mount Eden," read at the last meeting. 

 Messrs. Stewart, Goodall, and Pond were amongst the speakers. 



1. " Notes on the Chemical Properties of some of the Strata from Mr. 

 Firth's "Well at Mount Eden," by J. A. Pond. {Transactions^ p. 405.) 



2. Mr. T. F. Cheeseman read some extracts from a diary kept during a 

 botanical tour through the northern part of the Province of Auckland, and 

 exhibited a series of specimens collected on that occasion. 



Seventh Meeting. 2Uh October , 1874. 



His Honour Sir G. A. Arney, President, in the chair. 



New members, — J. Curnow, B.A., F. D. Kent. 



The secretary read the list of donations to the library and museum. 



Remarks were made by various members on the paper read by Mr. Pond 

 at the last meeting. 



1. "Note on Danais berenice,^^ by T. B. Gillies, M.H.R. 



Herewith I present to the Institute three specimens of the large hand- 

 some butterfly identified by Mr. Fereday (Trans. N.Z. Inst., Vol. VI., p. 183) 

 as Danais berenice. These were taken in February last at Hokianga, and sent 

 me by my friend, Mr. Von Sturmer, R.M., who informs me that he has 

 observed them in that locality for several years past. Two years ago I saw 

 specimens taken at Whangarei by Mr. Mair and Mr. Reyburn, who had 

 observed them in that locality for about two or three years before that time. 

 One specimen was also observed in my garden at Mount Eden two years ago, 

 but not captured. It will thus be seen that its occurrence in New Zealand is 

 not uncommon, and can scarcely be said to be intermittent.*^ 



* In a letter to me, dated Hokianga, 1st December, 1874, Major Von Sturmer writes, 

 — ''About those butterflies, Danais berenice. — The eggs are laid in the early part of 

 February, and the grub changes his skin four, five, and six times. At the end of forty 

 to forty- five days it spins a small web, and hangs itself by its tail ; and in four or five 

 days becomes a chrysalis, the most beautiful green and gold that can be imagined. It 



