308 THE entomologist's recokd. 



number, which result would be further aided by the introduction of 

 other species of birds of this family. It was an unquestioned fact that 

 the fiies were only found in the vicinity of water. 



Professor E. JJ. Poulton opened a discussion on " Mimicry," by 

 bringing a considerable amount of evidence to support the theories, that 

 certain butterflies and moths unprotected by nauseous body-secretions 

 developed colour and markings resembling more or less closely those 

 of insects generally unacceptable to birds and other enemies as food. 

 The nature of the various injuries commonly found in, or seen to be 

 inflicted upon butterflies was remarked on, and it was pointed out that 

 there was evidence to show that these injuries were especially 

 characteristic of the great groups, which were composed of protected 

 species, the models for mimicry. It was shown by many comparative 

 illustrations and specimens how difficult and practically impossible it 

 was to explain the resemblances as due to the sole influence of natural 

 environment. 



Mr. R. S. Bagnall read a short paper on " A Chalcid Parasite on 

 Thrips," giving also lantern illustrations. He recorded a Chalcid 

 found in association with various speci(-s of Thysanoptera of the Sub- 

 order, Terehrautia, from North Devon, Oxford and the N. of England. 

 The insect was apparently referable to 'riniportenus nisselli, Crawford, 

 a genus and species i-ecently described from N. America and not 

 hitherto recorded from Europe, and reared from various Terebrantian 

 Thrips. It was pointed out that this discovery was of much economic 

 importance on account of the range of its hosts. 



Mr. E. S. Bagnall read a second paper discussing •' The Systematic 

 Position of the Order Protura." The literature of this recently 

 diagnosed and anomalous order of Arthropods was outlined, and the 

 views of various authorities as to its systematic position were given. 

 Incidentally he deprecated the use of the term " Myriapoda " to 

 represent what was not a class bat a convenient assemblage of 

 Arthropods really somewhat widely separated in modern classification. 

 The view was supported that the Protura, though they had twelve 

 abdominal segments, with the sexual opening far back, were truly 

 Hexapod. As in the Chilopods, especially in the Lithobiidae, the 

 thoracic and abdominal segments of the Protura numbered fifteen, 

 which is the number of body segments in the genus Lithobiiis, and 

 arrived at this number from a nine segniented form, by mtercalcation 

 of a segment at a time, between the ultimate and penultimate 

 segments. It followed from this that the Class Insecta should be 

 divided into two Sub-classes, the one for Protura (with anamorphosis) 

 and the other for aU other Orders (having no anamorphosis) including 

 Thysanura and Collembola. The author considered that the so-called 

 jtfdes ahdouiinales were not true vestigial legs, but specially modified 

 organs to compensate the lack of the front pair of legs which are used 

 as antennae, and he pointed out, that though the creature increased its 

 body segments by intercalcation, the segments so added were not leg- 

 bearing segments. 



Professor Poulton read a communication from Mr. W. A. Lamborn,. 

 Southern Nigeria, containing an "Observation on Marriage by Capture 

 by a West African Wasp, A possible explanation of the great 

 variability of certain secondary sexual characters in males." A large- 

 clay nest was found, on which was sitting a wasp with enormously 



