ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 5i 



principles of quassia and colocynth, with camphor in turpentine, 

 as a remedy. Mr. Hope suggested a varnish of resin anime 

 applied to the back of the picture. It was agreed, on all hands, 

 that the metallic poisons would be dangerous to the picture. 

 Mr. Waterhouse thought that in case all other means failed, a 

 box might be made air-tight, with the back of the infected pic- 

 ture in the way of a lid, and that the fumes of prussic acid might 

 then be applied with safety and effect. He had found this 

 method succeed perfectly in destroying larvae, as well as the 

 perfect insect, in which state it was generally much more dif- 

 ficult to reach the vital principle than in the imago. Several 

 members thought that the evil existed principally, if not solely, 

 in the guards or frame-work of the pictures, many of which were 

 made of white soft wood, peculiarly liable to the attacks of in- 

 sects ; and a very easy remedy might be found in the removal 

 of these, and substitution of new ones made of materials not 

 liable to be thus infested. Mr. Thomas Bell thought the whole 

 subject of so much importance, that a committee might be ap- 

 pointed to make experiments of the various remedies proposed, 

 and report. 



A paper from Mr. Spence, communicating a number of 

 valuable observations on the habits of the ScoUti, so destructive 

 to the elm, and other large timber trees, was read. 



Extracts from a letter received by Mr. Westwood from Mr. 

 R. Lewis, one of the Society's members, dated Van Die- 

 men's Land, was read, detailing his success in Entomological 

 captures. 



A communication from Mr. Smith to Mr. Ingpen, on the 

 nature of the gall, so frequent on the under side of oak leaves, 

 was read. It appears to have been a disputed point whether 

 this gall was a fungus, or an insect habitation. From his pre- 

 vious want of success in discovering any tenant of any kind to 

 these galb, Mr. Smith had been inclined to the latter opinion ; 

 but early this season he was examining some oak leaves in 

 Coombe Wood, in a situation where they were drifted toge- 

 ther in a heap. Those on the surface were quite dry, and the 

 galls withered. Underneath they were moister ; and on pro- 

 ceeding to examine the galls on those which were compara- 

 tively fresh and pulpy, he found each of them, to his no small 

 pleasure and surprise, to contain a little black Cynips, in the 

 perfect state. He afterwards carefully examined the oak leaves 



NO, I. VOL. V. 1 



