ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. (jl 



b<^iis of Egypt. He enumerated the various ideas and objects 

 of which, by different authors, it was supposed to be the 

 emblem ; and gave it as his judgment, that its deepest and 

 most universal meaning had been entirely overlooked. It is 

 well known that the Egyptians were believers in the immor- 

 tality of the soul; and from the situations near the heart, and 

 under the eyelids, in which it was invariably found, from its 

 being worn by soldiers going to battle, &c. he argued that the 

 sacred beetle was the primary type and emblem of immortality, 

 and the resurrection. Mr. Pettit and Mr. Westwood both con- 

 firmed the views of the author, though the latter gentleman 

 thought that the idea was by no means new, being to be found 

 at large in the writings of Latreille. 



Sitting of the 5th of June, 1837. 

 Rev. W. KiRBY, Honorary President, in the Chair. 



Various donations of books and papers were received, and 

 thanks voted respectively. 



Mr. Westwood made some observations on the extraordi- 

 nary backwardness of the present season, as to whether it had 

 any effect in retarding the regular appearance of insects. As 

 far as he had observed it had no influence, but he thought the 

 subject well worthy the investigation of Entomologists. 



A paper from Mr. Jennings, on the larvae of a dipterous 

 insect voided in large quantities from the human subject, 

 illustrated by specimens and drawings ; a paper by Mr. 

 Westwood, descriptive of several new genera exhibited, with 

 drawings ; extracts of a letter, detailing the singular proces- 

 sional and migratory habits of two sorts of caterpillars, from a 

 Member abroad ; and a paper by Dr. Richardson, on a 

 caterpillar then ravaging the cherry-trees in Kent, with speci- 

 mens, — were severally read, but did not elicit any observations 

 of public interest. 



