1865.] NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 79 



the Cicindela, it is predacious in its habits, and has been known to 

 devour fishes and frogs far larger than itself. The cockchafer is 

 purely vegetarian in its habits ; its mouth seems more adapted for 

 grinding its food, than cutting it, and its sluggish shape contrasts 

 strongly with that of some of the carnivorous ground-beetles. It 

 is said that poisons have no effect upon the grub of this beetle, but 

 alkalies seem fatal to it. Further examples were then taken from 

 the order to which the locusts and crickets belong. The various 

 peculiarities of the house-cricket were described, particularly its 

 remarkable gizzard, covered internally with scales or horny points. 

 The mechanism by which the chirrup of the grasshoper is effected, 

 was explained at considerable length, as were also various points of 

 structure in the mole-cricket and the cockroach. The dragon-fly 

 and the Urocerus gigas, an insect very destructive to pine-trees, 

 were also described in detail, particularly the curious ovipositor of the 

 latter ; and the last illustration selected was one of the saw-flies. The 

 lecturer concluded by remarking that all these curious contrivances 

 were evidently made to adapt each insect for its special functions 

 in the economy of nature, and that it afforded one of the many 

 proofs of the harmonies to be observed in the material world. The 

 paper was illustrated with a number of microscopical preparations of 

 various parts of insects, and with a large series of magnified drawings. 



After some remarks upon the paper by Principal Dawson, by the 

 Eight Rev. the Lord Bishop, the Rev. A. F. Kemp and others, 

 the thanks of the meeting were voted to Mr. Ritchie for his paper. 



J. F. w. 



Mr. Watt presented to the meeting : — 



1. A very full catalogue of Canadian plants, by Mr. A. T. 

 Drummond of London, C. W., including not only that gentleman's 

 own collections throughout the Province, but also a reference to 

 nearly all that has been published on Canadian Botany. His 

 list of Lichens is particularly fuh\ embracing about 150 species. 



2. An elaborate catalogue of the Flora of the county of Hastings, 

 C. W., by Mr. Macoun of Belleville, which includes many rare and 

 interesting plants. Mr. M.'s list of Carices is especially inter- 

 esting, and extends to nearly ninety species. His list of mosses 

 includes one very interesting new species, — Neckera Macounii, 

 Sullivant, MS. Canadian Muscology offers an inviting field for 

 assiduous exploration. 



3. A catalogue of the collections of Dr. J. G. Thomas, in the 

 vicinity of Quebec and of Riviere-du-Loup, C. E. Credit is due 



