GENERAL NOTES. 455 
its down. The following very conclusive natural experiment shews 
chearly that wind dispersion is the real agency by which this plant is so 
abundantly spread abroad. Some time ago the Old Brewery at Burke’s 
near Dunedin was burnt down, and the remains of the roof were 
remoyed. The floor was thus exposed which consisted of a causeway of 
bricks with clay between. It cannot be supposed that this artificial 
floor would contain great numbers of seeds of UHrechtites, yet an 
abundant and, for the situation, a very luxuriant crop of Lrechtites 
sprang up in the early summer of 1884. This case appears to show in 
very cogent manner how effectually the wind disperses the seeds of this 
extremely aggressive native plant. The writer has seen some reason 
for thinking that Vittadinia australis (A. Rich.) has increased greatly 
of late years. It too is well fitted to profit by wind dispersion. 
Perhaps some of the readers of this Journal whose observations go back 
a good many years could offer an opinion, confirmatory or otherwise, on 
this point.—D. Prtriz. 
Parasitic Crustacea. - In a collection of crustacea made for me 
by the captain of the whaling barque “Splendid,” I find numerous 
specimens of Pandarus armatus (Heller). This species is described 
in the ‘‘ Reise de Novara” Zoology, Vol. II., p. 202 (PL. xix., fig. 4), 
as having been taken on Seylliwm africanum at the Cape of Good Hope. 
Unfortunately I do not know whether my species were taken from a 
whale or a shark—as no label was attached to the bottle. Other species 
recorded by Heller as occurring in New Zealand seas are Hchthrogaleus 
braccatus (Dana), on an unnamed shark (l.c. p. 197); Pandarus dentatus 
(M. Edw.), on a shark (lc. p. 206); and Nogagus elongatus (Heller), 
also on a shark (l.c. p. 206), and all three from Auckland. I have in 
my collection a number of examples of a parasitic crustacean, apparently 
undescribed but allied to this section of Caligide, which were taken off 
a shark caught at Napier by Mr. A. Hamilton, of Petane. I hope to 
be able to describe it shortly. It is probable that Pandarus dentatus is 
the female of a species, of which Vogagus elongatus is the male. 
Parasitic crustacea belonging to different orders are not uncommon 
on the heads, under the gills or inside the mouth cavity of many fishes, 
and I should be glad to receive specimens in spirits from all parts of 
New Zealand, with any information as to where and whence they were 
obtained.—-G. M. THomson. 
MEETINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
HAWKE'S BAY PHILOSOPHICAL INSTITUTE. 
ANNUAL REPORT. 
During the past Winter Session six Ordinary Meetings have been 
held in the Society’s Room, Atheneum Buildings, Napier, and the 
undermentioned Papers by Members of the Institute were read :— 
