1896.] 1^5 



more than two inches long had been cut into the hard wood, in which the eggs had 

 been symmetrically deposited, edge to edge, with the coloured part inwards. The 

 greater part of each egg was of fine texture, and coloured green ; but at the extremity 

 from which the young insect would make its exit the egg shell was soft, pliant, and 

 beautifully reticulated. The row of flattened green eggs lying side by side resemble 

 an acacia leaf, but as they are concealed within the stem the resemblance was 

 apparently without motive. It seemed curious that as the eggs were embedded they 

 should be brightly coloured. Mr. McLachlan and Dr. Sharp made some remarks 

 on the subject. Mr. Green read a short paper, entitled, "Notes on Dyscritina 

 longisetosa, Westw." He remarked that drawings of the species had been exhibited 

 by him at a recent meeting of the Society. Dr. Sharp said Mr. Green seemed to 

 think that the insect was an earwig, but he could not accept it as belonging to the 

 Forjiculidm. He thought that further specimens for examination were required 

 before attempting to determine its position, which was quite doubtful at present. 

 Mr. W. F. H. Blandford communicated a paper, entitled, " Descriptions of New 

 Oriental ScolytidcB." 



April 1st, 1896.— The President in the Chair. 



Mr. Luke Bishop, F.E.G.S., of 3, Tokenhouse Buildings, E.G.; and Mr. 

 Robert Nesham, of Utrecht House, Clapham Park, S.W., were elected Fellows of 

 the Society. 



Mr. Champion exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Blatch, specimens of Qiiedius ripariiis, 

 Kellnei*, captured in February last on the banks of running streams at Porlock, 

 Somerset. He added that Mr. Waterhouse informed him that he had seen specimens 

 of the Quedius from Wales and Scotland. Mr. Champion also exhibited a 

 small collection of Coleoptera made by Mr. O. V. Aplin in Southern Tunis 

 during Tarious expeditions inland from Gabes. The collection included some 

 interesting Tenebrionidce of the genera Pimelia and Adesmia. Mr. Aplin no- 

 ticed specimens of these insects impaled by shrikes. Dr. Sharp, Mr. R. Trimen, 

 and Mr. R. McLachlan made some remarks on the subject of the impalement of 

 insects by birds. Mr. Goss exhibited for Mr. Cameron, an apterous male of 

 Mutilla contracta taken by Mr. Rothney at Barrackpore, India. The specimen 

 was stated to be the first recorded instance in this species of a wingless male. 

 Dr. Sharp called attention to the fact that at a recent meeting of the Society 

 (March 20th, see Pi'oc, 1895, p. x) a specimen of a supposed dimorphic form of 

 one of the species of Dytiscus was examined, and Professor Stewart enquired 

 whether any anatomical examination had been made of the sexual organs. He said 

 that in the Comptes Rendus Soc. Bordeaux, 1 894, there was an account of the 

 examination of the sexual organs of the supposed second form of Z). marginalis by 

 Mons. Peytoureau, who came to the conclusion that it was really a distinct species. 

 Dr. Sharp suggested that there must be some doubt as to M. Peytoureau's 

 conclusion as there was a series of these double forms in connection with this goiuis, 

 and it would be a very extraordinai-y fact if in one case the second form should be a 

 distinct species, while in other species of the same genus the form corresponding to 

 it should be only a variety. Prof. Poulton exhibited examples of the type labels 

 now in use in the Hope Collection at Oxford, and illustrated their employment by 

 projecting on the screen, by tlus lantern, a photograph of the Westwood types of 



