496 Entomological Society. 



the mandibles, which are pierced for the purpose of emission of the 

 poisonous fluid, which he had not however detected in Lithobius. 



" A memoir on the Sectional Characters in the genus Lucanus." 

 By J. O.Westwood, F.L.S. 



After alluding to the prevalence of certain characters apparently 

 of immaterial importance in the economy of insects, such as the num- 

 ber of joints in the antennae, the number and position of the veins in 

 the wings, &c., which nevertheless from their constancy afford excel- 

 lent artijicial points of distinction, the author alludes to the difficulties 

 he had experienced in adopting sectional characters in the genus 

 Lucanus of modern authors, now consisting of nearly 150 species ; 

 and to the employment of the number of spines on the outer edge of 

 the middle and posterior tibiae in the different sexes, which in many 

 species he had observed to differ in this respect : whence the species 

 form three primary groups : — 



1 . Those with two or three spines on the outside of the four hind 

 tibiae. 



2. Those with only one spine in the middle of the fonr posterior 

 tibiae in both sexes. 



3. Those in which the four posterior tibiae are either destitute of 

 spines, or have them furnished in the middle with one minute spine 

 in the females alone. 



The commencement of a memoir on the Life and Writings of Fa- 

 bricius, translated (with additions) from the Danish. By the Rev. 

 F. W. Hope. 



Mr. A. White stated that an extended memoir on Fabricius has 

 been published by the Baron Walckenaer in the ' Biographie Uni- 

 verselle.' 



It was announced that the Address delivered by Mr. G. Newport 

 at the adjourned Anniversary Meeting had been printed, and was 

 ready for delivery to the Members. 



Mr. E. Doubleday, in allusion to the noise made by the genus 

 Vermes, as stated in Captain Boyes's letter, mentioned that he had 

 recently examined Peridromia Feronia, the butterfly described by 

 Mr. C. Darwin, in his ' Tour/ as making a noise during flight like the 

 rustling of parchment, and that he had detected a small membranous 

 sac at the base of the fore- wings, with a structure along the sub- 

 costal nervure like an Archimedean screw or diaphragm in the tra- 

 cheae, especially at the dilated base of the wing. 



April 7th.— The Rev. F. W. Hope, F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Louis Fraser exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Balfour, a large case 

 of Brazilian insects. 



Mr. Westwood exhibited specimens of the singular chrysalis of 

 the genus Simulium, which is found attached to the underside of the 

 leaves of the watercress. Also a box containing a considerable num- 

 ber of specimens (belonging to more than twenty species) of Paus- 

 sidce, several of which (being new) had been forwarded to him by 

 Captain Boyes. He also exhibited and opened at the meeting one of 

 the large balls of earth formed by the Indian Copris Molossus, also 



