ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. -133 



stretched across and obtained a footing, thus running the risk 

 of a fall, which many of them received. The sideboard was 

 now moved quite away from the wall, and for awhile the 

 sweets remained untouched ; but soon the usual visitants were 

 again observed, and, for several days, it appeared impossible 

 to account for the intrusion ; when, at last, he was standing 

 near the table, and observed a solitary ant climbing quietly up 

 the wall of the room : when it had mounted to rather more 

 than a foot above the level of the sideboard, it took a spring 

 and came down among the sweets ; this seemed altogether so 

 extraordinary a proceeding, that he thought it must be the 

 effect of chance ; but very soon he saw many other ants make 

 their appearance and mount the wall, like their forerunner, 

 until they reached a certain elevation above the sideboard, 

 when they one and all, without exception, leaped from the 

 wall, seriatim, and alighted safely among the sweets : thus 

 their continued appearance was accounted for. The third 

 species was remarkable, as disproving the somewhat absurd 

 theory, proposed by Gould, and almost universally received, 

 that ants do not lay up stores for the winter ; a theory which 

 entomologists in particular had fully adopted and entered into. 

 He had seen the ants of this species, in great numbers, carry- 

 ing the seeds of a grass, which they carried with great care 

 and tenacity to their nests, and laid up in their stores. 



The Secretary read a paper by himself, being a descrip- 

 tion of Lamia Norrisii, one of the family Cerambicidce. 



The Rev. F. W. Hope combatted the opinion expressed by 

 Col. Sykes, that the ant's nest was constructed of cow-dung ; 

 he thought it was more probably composed of that paper-like 

 substance employed by some other gregarious insects, par- 

 ticularly wasps. 



Twelfth Sitting. — September 1. 



The Secretary read a paper by the Rev. F. W. Hope, on 

 the genus Mimela, belonging to the Scarabceidce. 



The Secretary read a paper by himself, on the Naming 

 of Insects ; he defended, at great length, the various subjects 

 attacked by a writer in the Entomological Magazine, and 

 shewed that they were perfectly justifiable and in accordance 

 with established usage : he instanced a long name, of his own 

 giving, and pointed out its advantages, (we did not catch the 



NO. iv. vol. ii. 3 k. 



