546 Proceedings of tie Asiatic Society. [No. 6. 



from the same gentleman. This is doubtless nothing new, but its 

 mode of formation and collection, which I have also heard of from 

 other visitors to Australia, is interesting and peculiar. 



" Lastly, what the Society may perhaps not have in their Museum 

 the bone of a whale's ear picked up at the Cape." 



" The caterpillar known as the grass-tree caterpillar burrows, at 

 one portion of its existence, in the Puriri tree, and it is there sup- 

 posed to contract a disease or rather to become inoculated with the 

 seed of a peculiar grass, which eventually grows out of its head. 

 The animal lives for a time, during which it is supposed that its 

 animal substance is absorbed by the plant, and replaced by another 

 substance identical with the plant itself; when this process has 

 advanced to a certain stage the animal dies, but the process of 

 absorption of animal matter and replacement of vegetable continue 

 until the entire caterpillar has been converted into a ligneous sub- 

 stance. All caterpillars are not so diseased, in fact, those specimens 

 found with the grass growing out of them are exceptions. I have 

 always understood that these are dug out of the ground. 



" One or two specimens of the cricket-genus have also been dis- 

 covered so diseased — but they are very rare. 



" The grass-tree caterpillar is only found in certain localities of 

 New Zealand." 



" The Kauri gum is found under ground and marks the site of a 

 departed Kauri tree. I have found large lumps of the gum in plains 

 far distant from any forest ; and it is generally supposed that places 

 where the gum is found have been forests destroyed by fire. I pre- 

 sume it is the action of the fire which drives the sap of the tree 

 towards the roots, and forms it into the hard substance known as 

 Kauri gum. The wood of the tree burns readily, and time would 

 soon obliterate all signs of the conflagration. 



" I have never seen Kauri gum in a living tree." 



5. From Dr. Thompson, on behalf of self and Dr. Hooker, a 

 copy of Flora Indica, Vol. I. 



Recorded a note from Babu Kissory Chand Mittra, commu- 

 nicating his wish to withdraw from the Society. 



Mr. Houstoun did not make the motion of which he gave notice 

 at the last meeting. 



