MAGAZINE OF SCIENCE AND ART. 
76 
tion and necessary renovation of Colonial 
Pastures. 
Mr. T. W. Shepherd—Native Plants, 
and the Pastoral, Agricultural, and Horti¬ 
cultural Resources of Australia, No. 7. 
The first Spring Exhibition will be held 
in the Botanic Gardens, on Thursday and 
Friday, 1st and 2nd of October; and the 
next monthly meeting will be held on 
Tuesday, 6th of October. 
A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF A SINGULAR 
INSECT PRODUCTION FOUND IN SOME 
PARTS OF AUSTRALIA. 
Br Theodore West. 
This substance (of •which the drawing accompanying 
represents several varieties) is called “ Laap,” or 
44 Lerp,” and is a whitish saccharine matter, found on 
the leaves of the Eucalypti (gum trees) in some parts 
of Australia. The name was given br the Aborigines 
of the north-west part of Australia Felix. 
The insects producing it are closely allied to the 
Aphides, or green flies of rose bushes, geraniums, &c. 
Fig. 1. Insect magnified. 
3. Natural size. 
2. Represents the eggs. 
4. “ Lerp.” 
This magnified view certainly verifies the words of 
that poet of Natural History (Cowper) who, speaking of 
insect forms, says— 
“ Whose shape would make them, had they bulk and 
size. 
More hideous foes than fancy can devise; 
With helmet heads, and dragon scales adorned. 
The mighty mvriads, now securely scorned, 
Would mock the majesty of man’s high birth, 
Despise his bulwarks, and unpeople earth.” 
Its chemical constitution appears to he, for an animal 
secretion, perfectly anomalous, so far as known, being 
composed of puro starch, which tastes sweet on the 
tongue, it is supposed by a rapid change into sugar by 
the action of the saliva.’ It "has beeif suggested, that 
from its large quantities in some parts of the country, 
and the ease with which it may be obtained, it may form 
a substitute for sugar, or malt, in distillation. If it 
really be pure starch, wo suggest, why not encourage its 
collection as a native product to supersede, or at any 
rate compete with, Col man’s and the far-famed Glen- 
field ? 
_ The result of this examination may teach the u prac¬ 
tical ** man some of the advantages of science, which 
he so often professes to despise. By its aid, the nature 
of this singular product, which he could only have as¬ 
certained by random and tedious trial, is with case 
determined, and the uses to which it may he applied are 
at once indicated. 
The waiter being desirous to lay before the Society 
an actual specimen of “ Lerp,” made enquiries for that 
purpose. In the course of these, he received a sample 
of what was supposed might bo “Lerp,” but which was 
recognised as 44 Manna,” an almost pure sugar, which 
yielded to the several tests no trace of starch. As one 
valuable object of a Society like this, is to bring toge¬ 
ther those who have greater opportunity for collecting 
specimens than others, it would be esteemed as a favour 
sliould auv member have one, of the true 41 lerp,” to 
exhibit it,* that opportunity may be afforded of confirm¬ 
ing the foregoing observations. 
PROCEEDINGS OF THE PHILOSO¬ 
PHICAL SOCIETY OF NEW 
SOUTH WALES. 
Proceeding with our record of the Trans¬ 
actions of this Society, we furnish our 
readers with a brief abstract of the Paper 
read by Mr. W. Gr. Pennington on the 11th 
of July, 1856, on “ the means of construct¬ 
ing railways financially considered.” 
The writer introduces the subject with 
a careful analysis of the railway systems 
of America and Canada, and expresses the 
decided opinion that railway traffic will 
supersede even the great natural means of 
water communication that exist in those 
countries, and that the construction of 
canals may he regarded as an obsolete 
idea. He points out the mistake into 
which the Americans fell in the construc¬ 
tion of their public works by borrowed 
capital, of which they were unable to pay 
the interest. The consequence of which 
was that for a time several States repudi¬ 
ated their obligations. The writer, how¬ 
ever, affirms that “ every dollar of the 
original debt, both principal and interest, 
has been paid since.” 
