1870.1 117 



in the " Transactions " of the Entomological Society, which he joined in 18 19. Only 

 a few months ago, Mr. Brown lost his wife, after a long and painful illness, and, from all 

 we can learn, this calamity tended to hasten his own death. Wo believe tliat his 

 extensive library and collections will be sold ; but we should rejoice to hear of their 

 remaining in Burton, to which town they would be invaluable, as more than the 

 nucleus of a Natural History Museum and Library. 



Entomological Society of London : September 6th, 1876. — J. JennebWeib, 

 Esq., F.L.S., in the Chair. 



E. Boscher, Esq., of Bellevue House, Twickenham, was elected a Member. 



Mr. E. Saunders exhibited sundry rare species of Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, &c., 

 chiefly from Chobham, including a new species of Odynerus [see p. 114], Astata 

 stigma $ , and Acanthia hirundinis, of which bug he had taken many examples ou 

 a window-sill in the vicinity of nests of HiriDido urbica. 



Mr. F. Smith exhibited a series of 60 bred examples of Crcesus septentrionalis , 

 bred from larvae on alder, found near Sidmouth. He also mentioned that Miss M. 

 Pasley had recently found Mutilla europcea parasitic in the nests of Bombus 

 miiscorum, in Hampshire. A day or two before receiving this infoi'mation, Professor 

 Brandt, of St. Petersburg, had told him that he had found the species in the nests of 

 the same bee, and this was the first instance, to his knowledge, of the insect being 

 found parasitic in the nests of a surface-building Bombus. 



Mr. Weir mentioned that he had recently been annoyed by the " harvest bug " 

 {Leptus autumnalis) when oil a visit to the South Downs, to such an extent, that 

 there were as many as 80 on each foot. Some discussion ensued as to the best means 

 of cure, and Mr. F. Smith said he had found almost immediate relief from a dose of 

 " flour of sulphur," taken internally. Mr. Weir exhibited an example of Lyccena 

 Icarus recently sent to him, with an appendage between the antennae, which looked 

 like the theca of some large moss, and he could not account for its being so 

 attached. Mr. F. Smith noticed that the larva; of Pygcera iucephala had recently 

 proved very destructive to sweet chestnut. 



With reference to an exhibition by Prof. Westwood (at the meeting held on 

 July 5th ; vide ante, p. 68) of twigs of horse-chestnut, apparently attacked by the 

 larvse of some moth, Mr. Stainton communicated a letter recently received from Sir 

 Thos. Moncrieffe, accompanied by twigs attacked in precisely the same manner : it 

 was stated that this was the work of squirrels, and Sir T. Moncrieffe said he had seen 

 these animals at work splitting the twigs, in order to feed on the pith. 



Prof Westwood sent a communication to the effect that two Orthopterous 

 insects, Meconema varium and Xiphidium clypeatum had been regularly taken on a 

 p*'ar tree in his garden at Oxford for five or six years. Mr. McLachlan remarked 

 tliat M. varium was common round London, and regularly visited the sugared trees 

 of Lepidopterists. 



Mr. F. Smith read descriptions of three additional species of Formicidce from 

 New Zealand, sent to him by Dr. Sharp, since his paper on Mr. Wakefield's New 

 Zealand ants had been read. Two of the species pertained to the genera Amblyopone 

 and Ponera, new to the Fauna. 



Dr. Sliarp communicated a list of localities for Amazonian StaphyHnidce, dis- 

 covered by Dr. Trail, the descriptions of which appeared in liis work on the Staphy- 

 linidcB of the Amazons Valley. 



Prof. Westwood communicated " Nota; Dipterologicoe," Nos. ii and iii ; the first 

 treating on the genus Systropus, with the economy of one species noticed ; the 

 second ou Acroceridce. 



