136 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF DUBLIN. 



that the Society would in the Proceedings give that paper in full, and 

 figures of the new species Macalisteri and Careyi. As such a subject 

 was before the meeting, Mr. Andrews thought it might be of interest 

 to show some very pretty specimens with the larva of j the Cicada 

 Zelandica, brought recently from New Zealand. These beautiful in- 

 sects, which are the Tettigonia Cingolata (Fabr.), are of a lively green, 

 and prettily barred or striated. Near "Wellington, New Zealand, they 

 are in great abundance, frequenting willows, and especially on Cordyline 

 Rumphii, or Draccena Australis, which forms jungles on the alluvial 

 banks of the rivers. On a sunny day they are exceedingly noisy ; their 

 chirping sounds are heard at some distance. The New Zealand flax, 

 Phormium tenax, is also a favourite locality. The Maori name for them 

 is Tarakihi. 



The following Paper was then read : — 



On two New Species in Saprolegnie^e, referable respectively to 

 the Genus Saprolegnia (Nees v. Esenb.) and Achlya (Nees v. 

 Esenb.) By William Archer (with Plate VI.). 



Even at the risk of being, perhaps, considered as somewhat premature 

 in coming forward to describe two new species in the family Saproleg- 

 niese, without being quite satisfied as to the particular genus to which I 

 assume, from certain data afforded, that they each respectively belong, I 

 still venture to do so, inasmuch as the reproductive parts offer abundant 

 characters to establish them as, indeed, distinct, undescribed species, 

 although their generic position may remain uncertain. 



As is now known, the generic characters in this family seem 

 to depend on the mode of formation and evolution of the zoo- 

 spores, and the specific characters on the conditions of the sexu- 

 ally developed reproductive organization, and on the special figure 

 of the oogonia. Hence, unless one be successful in finding one 

 of these plants in a sufficiently early condition to gain a view 

 of the formation of the zoospores, which ordinarily precedes the 

 true fructification, its generic position cannot be definitely predicated. 

 On the other hand, if one see the zoospores only, and thus establish the 

 genus, but fail to get a view of the conditions of the other type of fruc- 

 tification, the species to which any particular plant belongs must remain 

 undetermined. So far as more modern research goes, and so far as I 

 have myself had the fortune to find any of these plants in a fertile state, 

 it appears to me that here there exist various forms which, at least, 

 seem to maintain an identity of conditions, and individually to present 

 the same recurring characters. On this point, however, I dare not as 

 yet speak definitively. The extended experience of various observers 

 of these productions in their different stages may be requisite to solve 

 the question. All we can as yet go upon is experience hitherto. The 

 possibility that some of these forms may have stages of development 

 which take place out of water, does not seem to speak against their indi- 



