SCIENTIFIC NOTES. 
101 
the case it is in contradiction to what both of two authorities say, when, 
on p. 7, it is said that “ H. virescens and H. rubroviridans may readily 
become so.” 
The natives are said to eat the plants, which when fresh, have the 
flavour of a nut, and also use them when burnt, as colouring matter for 
their tatooing, rubbing the powder into the wounds, in which state it has 
a strong animal smell. 
The New Zealand name for this plant caterpillar \s “ I/ofefe 
mvetoP “ IVeri’’ aiiiihey — J. Herbert Stott, 63, Manchester 
Road, Bolton. [The parasitic fungus, mentioned by Mr. Stott as 
Torruhia^ is now generally known as Cordjceps, and belongs to the 
Ascomycetes. Several species of Isaria, formerly placed in a quite 
distinct genus, have been found to be simply a phase in the “alternation 
of generations ” which ends in the ultimate production of Cordyceps. 
In the Jou 7 'nal of Microscopy, 1890, pp. 73-82, is a most interesting 
paper on “The parasitic fungi of insects,” by G. Norman, M.R.C.S., 
with plates, in which the writer refers to a Cordyceps which has a New 
Zealand larva for a host, but this species is called C. taylori. I would 
also direct attention to the Eiitomologisf s Record, vol. i., p. 267, where 
similar larvae are mentioned. — Ed.] 
Wing Expansion. — Has it ever been noticed how much more 
rapidly the wings of most diurnal lepidoptera expand than those of 
truly nocturnal-flying species ? It is true that the former frequently 
place themselves in such a situation that the rays of the sun fall directly 
upon them while expanding their wings, which is rarely the case with 
the others, but this cannot be the only solution. The idea of investi- 
gating the cause of expansion of the wings of lepidoptera is a good one, 
and might easily be settled, as far as evaporation or coagulation is con- 
cerned, b) any competent microscopist. Coagulation, I should say, 
can hardly be the cause, as the result would not be uniform, and I 
doubt much if evaporation either has anything to do with it. My 
reason for this is as follows : The wing of any lepidopterous insect is 
composed of two membranes, supported on a framework of nervures. 
That this is the case has been proved conclusively ; for I recollect, a 
few months ago, Mr. Waterhouse exhibited, at the Entomological 
Society of London, a wing of one of the large American Saiimiidce (I 
am writing from memory), which he had successfully split into two, or 
divided the upper from the lower surface. Had the space between 
these two surfaces been expanded by a liquid, which coagulated or 
dried on the completion of the expansion of the wings, I should think 
that such an operation would have been absolutely impossible. But 
there is no objection to the theory that the expansion may be caused 
by an injection of liquid into the hollow nervures, causing them to 
stretch to their full extent and carrying the membranes with them. 
The excess of the liquid is probably the opaque drop which is after 
expansion, never before, exuded by the insect. I merely suggest this 
as my own idea, but as I am not a practical physiologist, I daresay Dr. 
Buckell can tell us if this be possible. — C. Fenn, Lee. April, 1891. 
Physiology of Expansion. — No one but Mr. Fenn seems to have 
tackled this question : — (i) As to expansion. The unexpanded wing is 
a miniature of the expanded. Newman, at p. 14 of British Biitterfiies, 
quotes from Kirby and Spence to the effect that the two membranes of 
