﻿GossET. 
  — 
  Notes 
  on 
  the 
  Life 
  History 
  of 
  Cliaragia 
  virescens. 
  847 
  

  

  52 
  ; 
  diameter 
  of 
  branches 
  from 
  3^ 
  to 
  6 
  ; 
  diameter 
  of 
  extremity 
  of 
  branch 
  

   at 
  bifurcation, 
  7 
  miUimetres. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  nearest 
  in 
  shape, 
  dimensions, 
  etc., 
  to 
  M. 
  tortiwsa, 
  of 
  Fiji, 
  the 
  only 
  

   known 
  Pacific 
  form. 
  

  

  Note. 
  — 
  Millepora 
  undulosa 
  is 
  obtained 
  not 
  uncommonly 
  by 
  the 
  Stewart 
  

   Island 
  oyster 
  dredgers, 
  in 
  from 
  14 
  to 
  20 
  fathoms 
  of 
  water, 
  along 
  with 
  

   Cinctipora 
  elegans, 
  Pustulipora 
  purpiirascens, 
  Idmonea 
  radians, 
  and 
  other 
  

   polyzoa, 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  aware 
  that 
  it 
  forms 
  anything 
  like 
  reefs. 
  — 
  F, 
  W. 
  H. 
  

  

  Art. 
  XLI. 
  — 
  Notes 
  on 
  the 
  Life 
  Histonj 
  of 
  Charagia 
  virescens. 
  By 
  the 
  Eev. 
  

  

  C. 
  H. 
  GossET. 
  Communicated 
  by 
  Prof. 
  Hutton. 
  

  

  [Read 
  before 
  the 
  Otago 
  Institute, 
  8th 
  October, 
  1S78.] 
  

  

  The 
  larva 
  Hves 
  chiefly 
  on 
  the 
  extremely 
  hard 
  wood 
  of 
  the 
  Black 
  Maire 
  

   (Olea 
  apetala), 
  but 
  I 
  have 
  also 
  found 
  it 
  in 
  a 
  tree 
  known 
  to 
  the 
  settlers 
  about 
  

   Masterton 
  as 
  the 
  wine-berry 
  or 
  New 
  Zealand 
  currant 
  tree 
  ( 
  Aristotelia 
  

   raceniosa). 
  The 
  wood 
  of 
  this 
  last 
  differs 
  widely 
  from 
  the 
  Maire, 
  being 
  very 
  

   soft 
  and 
  white. 
  I 
  believe 
  I 
  have 
  once 
  or 
  tAvice 
  found 
  the 
  larva 
  in 
  other 
  

   trees. 
  C. 
  virescens 
  passes 
  certainly 
  three 
  years 
  in 
  the 
  larval 
  state, 
  probably 
  

   four. 
  In 
  this 
  stage 
  of 
  its 
  existence 
  it 
  is 
  extremely 
  plentiful 
  wherever 
  the 
  

   Black 
  Maire 
  abounds. 
  It 
  is 
  not 
  easy 
  to 
  find 
  a 
  single 
  tree 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  

   that 
  is 
  not 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  honeycombed 
  by 
  its 
  ravages 
  ; 
  the 
  imago, 
  however, 
  

   is 
  far 
  more 
  rare. 
  Of 
  the 
  larva 
  I 
  have 
  obtained 
  twenty 
  specimens 
  in 
  about 
  

   an 
  hour, 
  notwithstanding 
  the 
  loss 
  of 
  time 
  in 
  getting 
  them 
  out, 
  whereas 
  I 
  

   have 
  only 
  come 
  across 
  seven 
  specimens 
  of 
  the 
  perfect 
  insect 
  in 
  four 
  seasons. 
  

   I 
  believe 
  I 
  have 
  once 
  seen 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  wing, 
  but 
  I 
  am 
  not 
  positive 
  about 
  it. 
  I 
  

   have 
  generally 
  come 
  across 
  it 
  half 
  dead, 
  partially 
  stiff 
  and 
  much 
  faded 
  

   and 
  frayed. 
  I 
  have 
  also 
  found 
  the 
  wings, 
  the 
  insect 
  having 
  evidently 
  fallen 
  

   a 
  prey 
  to 
  some 
  bird. 
  

  

  When 
  newly 
  emerged 
  the 
  perfect 
  insect 
  is 
  very 
  beautifully 
  marked 
  with 
  

   blackish 
  markings, 
  but 
  these 
  soon 
  fade, 
  or 
  get 
  rubbed 
  off, 
  and 
  the 
  insect 
  

   then 
  presents 
  a 
  pretty 
  uniform 
  green 
  with 
  a 
  few 
  whitish 
  markings. 
  

  

  Although 
  the 
  larva 
  is 
  so 
  plentiful, 
  it 
  requkes 
  a 
  httle 
  practice 
  to 
  detect 
  

   its 
  burrow 
  readily. 
  If 
  the 
  hmbs 
  or 
  trunk 
  of 
  a 
  Black 
  Maire 
  be 
  carefully 
  

   examined, 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  diamond-shaped 
  mark, 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  inches 
  in 
  the 
  

   side, 
  may 
  often 
  be 
  noticed, 
  which 
  varies 
  shghtly 
  in 
  tint 
  from 
  the 
  suiTounding 
  

   bark 
  ; 
  and 
  if 
  this 
  patch 
  is 
  pressed 
  with 
  the 
  finger 
  it 
  gives 
  way 
  ; 
  if 
  the 
  patch 
  

   is 
  torn 
  off 
  it 
  is 
  seen 
  to 
  be 
  composed 
  of 
  yellowish 
  or 
  greyish 
  silk, 
  covered 
  on 
  

   the 
  outside 
  with 
  scraps 
  of 
  bark, 
  lichens, 
  excreta 
  of 
  the 
  larva, 
  etc., 
  the 
  whole 
  

  

  