PROCEEDINGS OP THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION". 443 



Nymphcea, Btttomus, &c. ; the production of buds on leaves and ovules in 

 carpels being analogous processes. 



The jaws of a very large Shark, and some oil from its liver, with a specimen 

 of Goliathus magnus, were exhibited. This is the largest species of insect 

 known, measuring three or four inches in length, and one and a half in breadth. 

 It is also very rare, only three specimens existing at the present time in the 

 cabinets of Europe. 



The President observed that he believed this insect to be Goliathus giganteus. 

 It was one of the rarest insects known. It had been offered for sale at the price 

 of fifty guineas, and he had himself offered twenty guineas for a specimen. It 

 belonged to the family of the Cetonidce. This family was one of the most ex- 

 tensive and best known groups of insects that we possessed, and afforded the 

 best opportunities for acquiring ideas of general arrangement. It contained 600 

 species, only six of which were British. The family Buprestidae perhaps equalled 

 them in numbers. He then made some remarks on the forms of the section 

 Goliathides. They might be reduced to five principal forms of structure ; the 

 four first characterized by the forms of their labium, the last by the situation of 

 its epimera. 



The President then exhibited some wood from the new pier at Southampton, 

 that had been attacked by the Limnoria terebrans. He had been applied to by 

 Captain Du Cane, mayor of Southampton, for his opinion as to what was the 

 best course to be pursued, as the existence of the pier was threatened by these 

 devastating animals. He had recommended that stone be substituted in the pier 

 for wood. He believed that this was the only plan, for wherever wood was 

 exposed to the gentle action of salt water, these crustaceous animals attacked it. 

 They never attacked wood exposed to the more violent action of the waves of 

 the sea. 



The Rev. F. W. Hope stated that a memoir had been published on this 

 subject by Mr. Coldstream, in the last volume of the Transactions of the Ento- 

 mological Society. He had heard that Kyanised wood was not attacked by 

 White Ants, and he thought it might be applied to prevent the attacks of these 

 terebrating animals. These remarks led to a general conversation on the subject 

 of preserving wood from the attacks of insects and Crustacea, as well as the 

 bottoms of vessels from the adhesion of plants. 



Mr. Francis stated that sap-wood, exposed to the action of chloride of mercury, 

 became as durable and fit for use as the heart-wood. 



Mr. Gray then introduced to the attention of the meeting several new species 

 of the shells of Gasteropoda. He observed that not a day passed in Liverpool 

 but he found some new or undescribed species of animal, and he trusted this fact 

 would awaken the naturalists of Liverpool, if there were any, to a sense of the 



