|ic licit*. 



Ox THE Tkansformations of tue Common House Fly, with notes on allied 

 forms; by A. S. Packaud, Jun.,M.D. (from the Proceedings of the Boston Society 

 of Natural Ilistory, Vol. xvi, pp. 13G — 150, 1 plate). Of all in<cc't-pests of the 

 human race, thei-e is — strange though it be — scarcely one of which the earlier stages 

 are loss popularly known than those of the House Fly. To entomologists who have 

 specially attended to the subject, it was certain that the eggs were laid in dung, and 

 that the metamorphoses took place therein. Dr. Packard, in this interesting memoir, 

 traces out all its history from eggs laid in fresh horse-droppings ; and summarises it 

 as follows : — " The eggs are about one hundred and twenty in number, and in twenty- 

 " four hom*3 the larva? are hatched. There are three stages of the larval state, and con- 

 '■■ sequently two moidts. The first stage lasts about one day or twenty-four hours. 

 " The second stage lasts about one day. The thii'd stage lasts three or four days. 

 " The pupal state lasts from five to seven days. The period from the time of hatching 

 " to the exclusion of the imago lasts from ten to fourteen days in the month of August." 

 Just aa there are at least three species commonly confounded under the term 

 " Blow Fly," — of which the true Musca (or CalliphoraJ vomitoria is possibly the 

 least abundant — so there are several species ordinarily known as the " House Fly," 

 and Dr. Packard takes particular care to point out in* what way that ferocious little 

 animal (Stomoxys calcitransj, which takes a mean advantage of humanity by driving 

 its proboscis through our stockings when taking our ease in slippers, differs from 

 the comparatively harmless domestic Dipteron. He might have gone further, and 

 instructed his uninitiated readers that the merry creatures (HomalumyiactinictdariaJ 

 which perform an aerial ballet over one's head when lying half-asleep and half-awake 

 in the early morning, arc not " House Flies." Although the parts relating to 

 embryology, &c., will probably not much interest the non-entomological public. Dr. 

 Packard will do well to secure for his memoir more readers that it will have iu the 

 pages of the proceedings of a scientific society. 



Entomological Society of London : Jul?/ Gth, 1S7-4. — Sir S. S. Saunders, 

 C.M.G., President, iu the Chair. 



Mr. S. Stevens exliibited examples of Dianthaecia alhimacula, bred at Portsea 

 by Mr. Moncreaff ; also Cathormiocerus maritimus, Rye, and Tychhis h<xmatoce}>halus 

 taken by the same gentleman ; and Agrolera nemuralix from Abbot's Wood, Sussex, 

 taken by himself. 



Mr. Bond exhibited minute parasites from a bat, probably identical with Argas 

 jiipistrellce ; also Acari found on a fly, and Acarus-galls on leaves of damson : the 

 galls being very numerous, but the fruit-bearing powers of the ti-ee not being thereby 

 alTeeted. (Tlieso galls are probably the saiue ns those found on sloe ; and, according 

 to Kaltenbacli, are the work of J'olvul/J'ix pniiii). 



Mr. W. C. Boyd exliibited two examples of Thccht ruhi from Sussex, having a 

 pale spot iu each fore-wing. He remarked that he liad only seen two individuals of 

 tlic species in the lacidity iu which they were captuied, and both were of tills 

 ■ I'uliar variety. 



