307 
The Bulrush Caterpillar. 
THE BULRUSH CATERPILLAR. 
Description of tlie Bulrush Caterpillar (Sphceria Robertsi/t; *-/ 
native name, Aweto — Hotete), by Rev. R. Taylor, Waimati, 
New Zealand. 
This singular plant, which is a native of New Zealand, may 
be classed amongst the most remarkable productions of the 
vegetable kingdom. 
There are birds which dispossess others of their nests, and 
marine animals which take up their abode in deserted shells; 
but this plant surpasses all in killing and taking possession; 
making the body of an insect—and that too, very probably, a 
living one—the foundation from which it rears its stem, and 
the source from which it derives its support. It certainly 
forms one of the most surprising links between the animal 
and vegetable kingdom yet noticed, and, as such, merits as 
circumstantial a description as our present imperfect acquaint¬ 
ance with it will allow. 
The Aweto is only found at the root of one particular tree, 
the Rata . The female Poliuta,kana> the root of the plant, 
which in every instance exactly fills the body of the cater¬ 
pillar in the finest specimens, attains a length of three inches 
and a half; and the stem, which germinates from this metamor¬ 
phosed body of the caterpillar, is from six to ten inches high r 
its apex, when in a state of fructification, resembles the club¬ 
headed bulrush in miniature, and, when examined with a 
powerful glass, presents the appearance of an oviary. There 
are no leaves—a solitary stem comprises the entire plant; but 
if any accident break it off, a second stem arises from the 
same spot. The body is not only always found buried, but 
the greater portion of the stalk as well, the seed-vessel {done 
being above ground : when the plant has attained its-maturity, 
it soon dies away. 
These curious plants are far from being uncommon. I have 
examined at least a hundred. The natives eat them when fresh, 
and likewise 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. 
When newly dug up, the substance of the caterpillar is soft; 
and when divided longitudinally the intestinal canal is dis¬ 
tinctly seen. Most specimens possess the legs entire, with the 
horny part of the head, the mandibles, and claws. I he 
vegetating process invariably proceeds from the nape of the 
neck, from which it may be inferred that the insect, in crawling 
to the place where it inhumes itself prior to its metamorphosis, 
whilst burrowing in the light vegetable soil, gets some of the 
minute seeds of this fungus between the scales of its neck, 
from which, in its sickening state, it is unable to free itself, 
and which consequently, being nourished by the warmth and 
