{)() [September, 1877 



mitted to Professor Westwood, who replied that, " the flies are the common Dro- 

 " sophila cellaris, with their curious two-horned pupse, and they frequent cellars and 

 '' cupboards, delighting in stale beer, wine, &c." He supposed that, " the cauliflowers 

 " were more to their taste than the other things in the jar, being more succulent and 

 " flabby." In answer to a question asked by Mr. Ogilvie, he said that the eggs 

 were laid in the pickle jar, and not in the vegetables before they were pickled. 



. Mr. Douglas also forwarded a letter he had received from Mr. A. H. Swinton, 

 of Gruildford, enclosing a specimen of Myrmica ruginodis, which, on being placed 

 under a wine-glass, stationed itself at the rim, head downwards, and rapidly vibrating 

 the abdomen, continued "an intense noise," resembling the spiracular piping of the 

 Dipteron, Syrilla pipiens. 



Mr. Enock remarked, with reference to a spider which had been exhibited by 

 Sir Sidney Saunders at a previous meeting, as Atypus Sidzeri, that he had taken 

 the specimen himself at Hampstead, and that he had since referred it to the Kev. O. 

 Pickard Cambridge, who stated that the insect was certainly not A. Sulzeri, but that 

 he considered it to be A. Becki, Cambridge, which would pi'obably be the same as 

 A. plceus, Thorell, though he was not certain, as the only female which he had of 

 the species was too much damaged to admit of any satisfactory comparison. The 

 type of A. Beclci was an adult male given to him by the late Mr. Richard Beck, 

 who was uncertain of the locality, though he considered it probable that he had 

 obtained it from Hampstead, as he often collected there. The example sent to him 

 by Mr. Enock was different from the Isle of Wight species, of which he had several 

 female specimens, but no male, though he believed them to be A. Sulzer^ He would 

 be glad if collectors in the Hampstead locaUty would look out for the male in 

 autumn and winter, as, if he could obtain that sex, it would enable him to put the 

 question as to species at rest. 



Mr. Enock exhibited a bottle containing a groat number of larvae of Cossiis 

 ligniperda, which he had found in a portion of a small willow. He had taken fifty- 

 six larvse out of a piece of wood four feet long. 



Mr. Dunning again directed the attention of members to the exhibition, by Mr. 

 Jenuer Weir, at the last meeting, of a female specimen of Cicada montana, which 

 was reported to have been distinctly heard to stridulate, notwithstanding that the 

 insect was a female, and also that the species was one of which even the males were not 

 previously known to stridulate. Mr. Weir stated that since the last meeting he had 

 again been to the New Forest, and had seen, in the possession of Mr. James Grulliver, 

 of Ramnor, near Erockenhurst, two specimens of Cicada montana, and he was 

 assured by Mr. Gidliver that the stridulation of the insect was well known to him 

 and he was guided by the sound so made in effecting the capture. Mr. Champion 

 said that he himself had captured the insect, and had distinctly heard a loud buzzing 

 noise, but whether the sound was caused by the males or females he could not say. 

 Mr. Dunning considered that further evidence was wanting to jirove stridulation 

 in the females. 



The following papers were communicated : — (1.) Notes on the new or rare 

 Sphingid(B in the Museum of the Royal Dublin Society, and remarks on Mr. Butler's 

 recent revision of the family : by W. F. Kirby. (2.) Descriptions of new genera 

 and species of Cryptoceplialida : by J. S. Baly. (3.) Descriptions of new species 

 of Cleridce : by the Rev. H. S. Qorham. • 



