38 JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 



Mr. T. W. Kirk was surprised that this interesting genus had 

 hitherto been almost passed over by New Zealand entomologists. The 

 paper just read would be extremely "welcome to naturalists. As far 

 back as 1872, the late Dr. Powell described, in the "Transactions of 

 the New Zealand Institute," the stridulating organs of the New Zealand 

 species, and about two years ago Mr. Lucas did the same for Australia. 

 Mr. Hudson made no mention in his paper of the destructive habits of 

 the Cicadce. A few days after the female emerged she commenced to 

 lay. Making a longitudinal slit in the bark of the tree, she proceeds to 

 saw a number of V-shaped cuts in the wood so as to raise the fibres and 

 prevent the bark from healing. She then deposits her eggs in pairs in 

 each wound. The total laying sometimes amounts to hundreds. The 

 female then dies, the eggs hatch, and the young grub drops to the 

 ground, and then undergoes the transformation mentioned by Mr. 

 Hudson. The Cicada prefers the Manuka, but nothing comes amiss, 

 and the young shoots of orchard trees sometimes suffer considerably ; 

 the damaged shoots, if not killed, generally break off when the fruit 

 begins to swell. As regards the pupa being mistaken for mole-crickets, 

 he might say that there certainly were veritable English mole -crickets 

 in New Zealand. He had exhibited specimens which were alive when 

 received. 



Mr. Maskell had seen twigs of fruit- and other trees damaged by 

 these insects, but he did not think the urgency was so great as supposed; 

 still it was sufficient to make those concerned take steps to prevent it. 



Mr. Hudson, in reply, said that he had not in this paper gone into 

 the subject of the eggs of the Cicadce ; indeed he had great difficulty in 

 procuring eggs, and would be glad to get them from any member. 



Wellington, 13th August, 1890— Charles Hulke, F.C.S., President, 

 in the chair. 



Paper. — "On some Means for increasing the scale of Photographic 

 Lenses, and the use of telescopic powers in connection with an ordinary 

 Camera," by Alex. McKay, F.G.S. This is a discovery in the art of 

 photography, by which, through the use of telescopic powers in 

 connection with an ordinary camera, photographs of remarkable 

 correctness in all matters of detail may be taken several miles distant. 

 (The author described in detail the series of experiments he had made 

 in perfecting his process.) In the first place, by the use of a telescopic 

 eyepiece, consisting of one or more dispersion-lenses of different powers, 

 photographs on an increased scale, and greater size can be produced 

 from the same standpoint without it being necessary to use a camera 

 other than that which is fitting to the photographic object in the first 

 instance. The Instrument may also be used in connection with 

 microscopic photography. Secondly, a travelling screw, connecting the 

 two parts of the telescopic tube, which, with a thread of, or approaching, 

 40 to the inch, affords the required degree of nicety in adjusting the 

 objective and the eyepiece. Thirdly, a focusing-glass or eyepiece, to 

 be used in the position of the focusing-screen, enables the use of a 

 focusing-cloth to be dispensed with, and also the screen in giving the 



