Entomological Society, 6ft 



" I have thought it better to send you herewith pieces of the 

 nest, from which you will see how it has been formed of clay and 

 sand ; and you will also observe a part of the membrane which lined 

 the inside of the cell. The larva (also inclosed) was at first quite 

 alive ; but, owing to my having injured its head as I was opening the 

 cell, it became yesterday evening nearly motionless. I observed, in 

 using a strong lens, that here and there some pieces of sand do not 

 fit quite close, and are unfilled up with clay ; this will allow a little 

 air to reach the inside of the cell. 



" The cells are of an elongate-ovate form, varying from |ths to ^ths 

 of an inch in length, the four being applied side to side and mea- 

 suring If inch across their upper part, each cell being about fths of 

 an inch across, and the diameter of the interior of the cell which I 

 opened being about ^th of an inch. The exterior surface of the 

 nest projects from the surface of the wall about Jths of an inch. 

 Each cell is quite separated from the adjoining one and has no 

 internal communication with the other. 



" The tree in which I saw the sparrows on their nest, pulling 

 about the nest of the Vespa Britannica, is a large pear-tree trained 

 against the wall of my house : I examined the nest in which the 

 sparrows were, but found no remains of the wasp's nest, only three 

 gaping unfledged sparrows, and many feathers, some pieces of paper 

 and cloth, to keep them warm and snug ; and I likewise examined 

 the tree around, in order to discover the peduncle of the wasp's nest, 

 but I could see no traces of it. The wasp's nest had then been 

 brought from some of the neighbouring trees or shrubs ; this could 

 easily be done, as it is extremely light, and measures only about 

 2 inches in its larger diameter, and about Iginch in its smaller 

 diameter." 



November 3rd. — The Rev. F. W. Hope, President, in the Chair. 



It was announced that the second part of the fourth volume of 

 the Transactions was ready for delivery to the members. 



Mr. Tatham exhibited several splendid species of Carabi, one be- 

 longing to a new species recently received from China. 



The President exhibited a box of insects received by him from 

 Dr. Savage, collected at Cape Palmas, containing a new Goliath 

 beetle. Also several boxes of insects recently forwarded from Lan- 

 dour in the East Indies by Mr. Benson, including several new spe- 

 cies of Coleoptera. 



A letter from Captain Boys, on the habits of various Indian spe- 

 cies of insects, addressed to Mr. West wood, was read, dated from 

 Simla in the Himalayas, August 2nd, 1 845 : 



" It is a curious fact, of which I have undoubted proof from 

 ocular demonstration, that both male and female insects of the genus 

 Copris are mutually employed in forming the casing of earth after 

 the deposition of the ova within the cowdung. When at Mhow, 

 in search of scorpions on the bank of a rivulet, in turning up a large 

 stone I exposed the perpendicular section of an excavation formed 



