246 THE entomologist's record. 



Mr. Coolcy docs not believe that they are for sexual attraction. He 

 considers that they serve to hold the wings in place when at rest, 

 thus allowin,!^' a relaxation of the muscles of the wings. 



Dr. Dyar considers that the structure in Dioni/cliDpus nirtits (related 

 to SpilosomaJ, which made the chirping noise described by Dr. Donitz in 

 the Uciiincr Ent. ZciUrhrift, vol. xxxi., was not that described by Mr. 

 Cooley above, but was made by a semi-circular bladder-like structure, 

 about Sunn, long, with a series of fine curved teeth along its straight 

 front edge. It is placed on the anterior edge of the nieta-thorax, directly 

 below the hind-wing, on which, near the base of the cubital nervure, 

 is a rounded, pointed chitinised knob, which may serve for rasping on 

 these teeth. 



Dr. Nagel describes I Biol. Centmlh., xvi,, 1896, 51-57 and 103- 

 112) the method, of feeding in larvfe of Dijtucus. In these larvae, the 

 mouth is very much reduced in size, and the ingestion of food is per- 

 formed by means of suction through the nnich modified mandibles, 

 the process being facilitated by the powerful digestive action of the 

 saliva, Avhich has a marked poisonous action, killing other insects and 

 even tadpoles, twice the size of the attacking larvte, very rapidly. 

 The larva? not only suck the blood of their victims, but absorb the 

 proteid substances. Drops of salivary juice seem to paralyse the 

 victim, and to ferment the proteids. Similar extra-oral digestion 

 seems to occur in larva' of ant-lions and spiders, and. according to 

 Krause, in Cephalopods. 



In The Annals of Scottish Natural Histori/ for July, 1896, is a list 

 of the Hymenoptera and Hemiptera, collected by Mr. W. S. Bruce on 

 the summit of Ben Ne\ is. 



SOCIETIES. 



The City of London Entomological and Natural History Society. 

 — October 6th, 1896. — Sirex juvencus at Eltham. — Mr. J. A. Clark 

 exhibited a specimen of S. juvencus, captured the preceding day 

 (Oct. 5th), at Eltham. Dr. Sequeira remarked that he had taken 

 it some years ago in the month of August, in the Warren, at 

 Exmouth. Skcond brood of Hemerophila abruptaria. — Mr. J. A. 

 Clark exhibited a specimen of a partial second brood of Hemero- 

 phila ahruj)taria, that had emerged a few hours before the 

 meeting. He had, up to the present, bred five specimens out of 

 about 30 pupa). Boletobia fuliginaria. — Mr. Tutt exhibited a 

 specimen of 7i.. /■»/////);«/•/«, which had been sent to him to name by 

 Mr. Boult, and which that gentleman stated had been captured just 

 previously at Hull. It was noticed by the members that the insect 

 was loose on its pin, and appeared to have been re-set. Callimorpha 

 dominula ab. rossica, Kol. — Mr. H. May exhibited bred specimens of 

 Callimorpha dominula, the larva" having come from Deal and Plymouth. 

 Two had the hind-wings somewhat suffused (approaching ab. persona), 

 and one had orange-coloured hind-wings. The latter was dwarfed 

 and somewhat crippled. Intermediate Duyas paphia-valesina and an 

 aberration of D. papiiia. — Mr. Bayne exhibited a ^ aberration of 

 D. paphia, with the spots joined so as to form longitudinal streaks 

 crossing the wing, and with the black spots at the end of the nervures 

 much enlarged. He also exhibited a grand ? paphia, much suffused 

 with the valesina tint, and which Mr. Tutt remarked reminded him of 



