LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. liji 



Mr. A. Hammond exhibited a ]ar\a. of Tani/pus maculatus. He 

 observed that the coronet and appendages of the thoracic and 

 anal regions had been said to be homologous with the respiratory- 

 organs of the larva and pupa of gnats &c. This he doubted, 

 inaismucli as, besides the absence of tracheae, the former originated 

 from the ventral and not the dorsal surface. He also stated 

 his opinion that the two oval bodies in the thorax of the larva, the 

 so-called "air-reservoirs" of De Geer, were probably salivary glands 

 similar to those of the Crane-Fly. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. " On Commelinaceae." By C. B. Clarke, F.L.S. 



2. " On the Salmonidae and other Fish introduced into the 

 New-Zealand Waters." By H. M. Brewer, Hon. Sec. Wan. 

 ganui Acclimat. !Soc. N. Z. Communicated by Dr. Murie, F.L.S. 



February 19th, 1880. 

 William Caeruthees, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 

 The Minutes of the last Meeting vrere read and signed. 

 Mr. Edwin Siuipson-Baikie was elected a Fellow. 



Mr. James Britten exhibited specimens of the stems of Jiyr- 

 mecodia ecliinata and J/. gJahra recently sent from Borneo* by 

 Mr. H. 0. Forbes, showing the galleries formed by a species of 

 Ant allied to, if not identical with, Pheidolejavana, Mazo. Very 

 young plants of one of the species of Myrmecodia were also exhi- 

 bited, all of which had been attacked by ants. 



Dr. Maxwell Masters brought forward an example of Pitcher- 

 plant, Nepentlies hicalcarata, from Borneo ; and he read a Note 

 thereon from Mi\ Burbidge. It seems these pitchers are perfect 

 traps to creeping insects by reason of the incurved ridges round 

 the throat of the pitchers. Taking advantage of this, a certain 

 sjiecies of Black Ant perforates the stalk, and so provides an 

 inroad on the sumptuous fare of dead and decaying insects and 

 water contained in the iloral reservoir. The remarkable Lemu- 

 roid, Tarsius spectr^ivi, likewise visits the Pitcher-plants for the 

 sake of the entrapped insects. These it can easly obtain from 

 the Nepentltes Saffiesiana, but not so from the .N'. hicalcarata, 

 where the sharp spurs severely prick if the animal dares to trifle 

 with the urn-lid. 



The following paper was read : — 



1. "On the Flora of the Kuram Valley, Afghanistan." By 

 Dr. J. E. T. Aitcliison, F.L.S. 



