Proceedings of the Royal Society for the month of October, 1877

The monthly evening meeting of the Society was held on Monday, October 15, James Barnard, Esq., in the chair.
Mr. Justin Browne (on behalf of Mr. Justice Dobson) exhibited a remarkably fine specimen of the great Mexican thistle, "Grande fleur rouge" (Carduus sp.), and read a short notice in reference to it. In its native habitat this splendid flower is found at an elevation of 12,000 feet, and till recently was supposed to have become almost extinct.
The Secretary read a letter from the Rev. H. D. Atkinson, enclosing a diagram of a strange fish caught at Circular Head. [The sketch having been shown to Dr. James Hector, F.R.S., of New Zealand, that gentleman recognised the subject of it as the "Hair Tail," Trachypterus altivelis, an ocean fish rarely found near land.] The following communication, addressed to the Hon. Secretary, in reference to the so-called "Brown's River Black" potato, from Mr. F. Cotton, of Kelvedon, was read:—"My attention has been directed to an article in the Tasmanian Mail of September 1,on a potato called "Brown's River Black", but the right name of which is "Kelvedon Purple." A valuable paper by the Rev. J. E. Tenison.Woods, F.G.S., F.R.G.S., etc., "On Tasmanian Siphonaria", including a new species, was read.
The Rev. W. W. Spicer, M.A., F.R.M.S., read a most interesting paper, on "Insect Parasites". After the paper Mr. Spicer remarked that through the kindness of Admiral Barnard a request had been issued to all our lighthouse keepers for specimens of plants in their respective neighbourhoods. Mr. Spong, of King's Island, had alone replied hitherto, and had forwarded 47 species, but of these none were new.