74 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



Scatophaga stercorarea. 

 Sericomyia borealis. 

 Syritta pipiens. 

 Syrphus balteatus. 



,, grossul arise. 



„ pyrastri. 



., ribesii. 



„ vitripennis. 

 Tab an us bovinus. 

 Tachina fera 



„ viridis. 



„ sp? 

 Tetanocera elata. 

 Thereva sp.? 

 Volucella bombylans. 



, , pellucens. 

 Xylota Sylvarum. 



Mr. William Andrews, M. E. I. A., then read a paper entitled : — 



Notes on Htmenophtlla, especially with reference to New Zealand 



Species. 



The paper that I propose to submit this evening is more with refe- 

 rence to plants that I have principally received from New Zealand, and 

 to those that I have cultivated, than to any extensive notes of a tribe 

 or genera of ferns that present the greatest variety both of novelty and 

 beauty — the Hymenophyllacece. 



Whether we view their distribution in tropical and sub-tropical 

 climes, in the depths of the primeval forests of the Columbian Andes, 

 the dense moist forests of the Amazon, or on the more elevated ranges 

 of the Peruvian mountains, as well as in the tropical ocean islands of 

 the Eastern and Western hemispheres, especially those of volcanic 

 origin, we can rarely meet but among those beautiful tribes, ferns of 

 such extreme delicacy of texture, of minuteness of growth, and others 

 assuming a size equal to their beautiful congeners, Trichomanes, than 

 the Hymenophylla exhibit. 



One of those beautiful localities so frequent in New Zealand, situated 

 in the Wellington district, at some distance from Port Nicholson, having 

 the Rimutaki mountains to the west, and the Manugaraki mountains to 

 the east, lies the lovely valley of Wairarapa. From the heights 

 branching through the deep dells, like silver threads may be seen the 

 Ruamahunga river, while occasionally bursts of foam and mist mark the 

 falls and cascades that interrupt the rapid course of the streams. It is 

 along their shelving banks that the tree-ferns may be seen rearing their 

 lofty heads. Cyathea medullaris, the great tree-fern, rising to a height 

 of forty to fifty feet, the korau, or edible mamaku of the natives ; 

 Cyathea dealbata, the native name ponga or silver fern; these, with 



