Eighth Meeting: 11th November, 1891.
The Hon. W. B. D. Mantell, F.G.S., in the chair.

Paper.—“On Moth-destruction,” by Coleman Phillips. (Transactions, p. 630.)

The author exhibited a lantern and fittings by which it was proposed to catch the moths in large quantities.

Sir James Hector said that Mr. Phillips had certainly done good work in pointing out a simple and effectual way of getting rid of these insects that are so destructive in our gardens and fields of crops; it was the first time, as far as he knew, that the lantern had been used in a practical way for this object. He did not think any useful insects would be destroyed.

Mr. Hudson agreed that the lantern idea was novel for the purpose of destroying moths on such a large scale. He was afraid it would not reach the worst kind of pests, which he thought were the slugs. The wireworm referred to was not a moth, and its beetle had no wings; the lantern would, however, attract some of the wood-boring beetles with wings. He did not think we had the wireworm in New Zealand.