SOCIETIES. 41 



dark form of Strangalia armata, Helops certileus, Phalera cadavorina, 

 and in Hemiptera, Calocoris sexgiiitatus. Mr. Tutt then read his paper^ 

 on " The Pterophorina." 



At the conclusion of the paper, Mr. Simes proposed that a vote of 

 thanks be given to Mr. Tutt for his paper. This was seconded by Mr. 

 Bayne, and carried. 



The Secretary then read two letters from Mr. R. McLachlan, F.R.S., 

 relating to Mr. Milton's paper on " Dragonflies," in which the author 

 states that " the genital organs of these insects are placed in the thorax." 

 Mr. McLachlan says : — " There is some great misapprehension here. 

 The real facts are that in the $ the genitalia are placed partly in the 

 underside of the second segment of the abdomen^ and partly in the under- 

 side of the 7iinth segment. In the ? , the parts are situated as is usual 

 (in the ninth segment) ; " and in the second letter he writes : — " The 

 opening of the vesiculce seminales is situated in the ninth segment. The 

 penis, with certain excitatory organs, is in the second segment. I am 

 not aware that any direct internal connection has ever been found 

 between the two sets of organs, and the belief is, that the ^ 

 charges the penis by bending up the end of the body to the 

 second segment before pairing, or, during the time the connection is 

 only by means of the anal claspers to the neck of the ? . This is 

 warranted by certain movements of the ^ (best seen before pairing), 

 observed by several writers, and of which I have myself been a witness. 

 The whole proceeding is very extraordinary. It is only when the sexes 

 are doubled up, as it were, that actual pairing is taking place, which is 

 quite independent of the holding on of the <? to the neck of the $ . It 

 seems very probable that actual pairing takes place several (or many) 

 times between the same pair, or with different individuals of each sex " 

 {in litt., Jan. 13, 1892). Mr. Tutt and Dr. Buckell both drew attention to 

 the great scientific value of the communication and made comments 

 thereon. — A. U. Battley and J. A. Simks, Hon. Sees. 



South London Entomological Society. — Annual Meeting, 

 January 2']th, 1892. — The South London Society has something of 

 which to be proud, and with which to be self-satisfied. Their Annual 

 Meeting produced an attendance of members doubling the number 

 present the previous evening at the Annual Meeting of the London 

 Entomological Society. But the regular habitues could scarcely help 

 noticing the large number of members present, who are comparative 

 strangers at the ordinary meetings, but who turn up annually to vote, 

 and who carry out in their own persons the old adage of " pull the 

 string, and the figures will move." There was undoubtedly something 

 in the air besides the anticipation of a good address by the President, 

 which by-the-by was amply fulfilled. One recognised that members 

 who were comparative strangers and dilettanti entomologists were well 

 in, and there was a probability that some members, even, might have 

 to pay an official visit to the Treasurer before being entitled to vote. 

 Voting then was the secret. The South London Society was 

 polemical again ; a chronic condition, which keeps up the vitality 

 and general tone of this Society to a high pitch. The new Bye-laws 

 were already at fault ; the Council had tumbled out about the inter- 

 pretation of some of them, and a certain number of Council members 



' Printed in another part of this number. 



