181)6.] 95 



had been detected by Dr. Chapman in the larva of Parnassius Apollo. Prof. 

 Meldola suggested that as Dr. Knaggs had shown how to separate the resin from 

 the wax it would be of interest to make a chemical investigation of the latter, since 

 a sufficient supply of this material could easily be obtained. No insect wax, with 

 the exception of that of the bee, had been submitted to investigation by chemists. 

 Mr. Hampson and Mr. Blandford continued the discussion. Mr. Q-ahan exhibited 

 drawings of the dorsal segments of the abdomen of Dyscritina longisetosa, formerly 

 described by Prof. Westwood in Trans. Ent. Soc, 1881, a specimen of which was 

 shown by Mr. E. E. Green at the last Meeting of the Society. He regretted that 

 no drawing, showing the ventral surface, had yet been prepared. Mr. McLachlan, 

 Dr. Sharp and Mr. Green made some remarks on the subject. Mr. B. A. Bower 

 exhibited specimens of Argyresthia Atmoriella, Bankes, taken in Kent, in June, 

 1894, a recent addition to British Lepidoptera. Mr. E. E. Green read notes on the 

 habits of the Indian ant, (Ecophylla smaragdina, Fabr. He said that he believed 

 tliat at some previous meeting of the Society, Mr. Ridley, of the Singapore Museum, 

 made some remarks on this ant and its supposed habit of using its own larvae as 

 web-spinners in the formation of its nest, but he had not been able to find anything 

 on the subject in the Proceedings. Mr. Green stated that he was now able to 

 produce corroborative evidence from an independent source. The facts were noted 

 by his friend Mr. W. D. Holland, of Balangoda, Ceylon, a most careful observer. 

 Mr. Green exliibited tlie specimen referred to by Mr. Holland, and pointed out tliat 

 the larvae were still tightly grasped by the jaws of the ants, and he thought it 

 probable tliat other web-spinning ants utilized their larva in the same way. Mr. 

 Hampson said he could confirm this statement. Mr. G. F. Scott-Elliot read a paper, 

 entitled, " Notes on Flower Haunting Diptera." The author pointed out that some 

 of the higher types of Diptera appeared to prefer red and blue flowers, and oftener 

 visited the complicated types of plants than the smaller Hymenoptera. He also 

 alluded to the effect of insect visitors in isolating particular individuals. Prof. 

 Meldola expressed himself much interested in the paper, and stated that although 

 he was aware, from the writings of Hermann Miiller and others, that Diptera 

 played an important part in the fertilization of flowers, he was unaware of the very 

 great importance which these insects possessed for the function of pollination until 

 he heard Mr. Scott- Elliot's paper. He also called attention to the urgent need of 

 a manual of British Diptera. Mr. Roland Trimen mentioned that in South Africa 

 some species of OrchidacecB were fertilized by Diptera. Dr. Sharp said Prof. Plateau 

 thought that neither the colour or form of the flower played any part in attracting 

 insects. Lord Walsingham enquired whether any observation had been made as to 

 the Diptera which visited differently coloured flowers of the same species, such as 

 Petunias. Mr. Barrett, Mr. Green, and Mr. Scott-Elliot continued the discussion. 

 Mr. Tutt read a paper, by Prof. A. Radcliffe-Grote, entitled, " On the Nomenclature 

 of the Geometridce." A discussion on the rules of nomenclature followed in which 

 Lord Walsingham, Prof. Meldola, Mr. Hampson, and Herr Jacoby took part. 



March ith, 1896.— Walter F. H. Blandford, Esq., M.A., F.Z.S., Vice- 

 President, in the Chair. 



Mr. P. Marshall, M.A., B.Sc, F.G.S., of Canterbury College, Lincoln, New 

 Zealand, was elected a Fellow of the Society. 



