72 (August, 187::; 



of tlio parasito ; fhc Mcl/lohia df^strojod the njniph in its soft state by e'stornal 

 iittack ; and llio Couopx deposited its egg in tlio body of the bee itself after maturity. 

 Specimens of this Osmia ahve, and of the briars from which they were produced, 

 were also exhibited. 



Mr. CJiampion exhibited a series of recently-captured individuals of Chrysomela 

 cerealis from Snowdon, its only British locality. Mr. McLacldan stated that he had 

 recently seen this species in the Department of the Saone et Loire in France in great 

 luimbers, each ear of wheat having several of the beetles upon it, and remarked on 

 the singular nature of its sole habitat in Britain. 



Mr. G-rut exliibitcd nests of a trap-door spider, containing living inmates, sent 

 from Port Elizabeth, South Africa, by Mr. Bidwell. These nests were not (as is 

 usiuil) in the earth, but in cavities in the bark of trees, and the trap appeared to bo 

 formed of a portion of the bark, thus rendering it almost impossible to detect the 

 nests when in a closed condition. 



Mr. Riley, State Entomologist of Missouri, exhibited sundry of the insect pests 

 that do so much damage in his State, including the Rocky Mountain Locust (Calop- 

 tenns spretus) , and entered at some length into the habits of the insect, and the vast 

 anwunt of destitution caused by it, stating that in a short period it devoured almost 

 every li\ ing plant, leaving nothing but the leaves of the forest trees, and converting 

 a fruitful coujitry into an absolute desert. From a knowledge of the habits of tho 

 insect, and believing in its inability to exist in a moist climate, he had predicted that 

 its ravages would not extend beyond a certain line, and he had seen these predictions 

 fulfilled almost to the letter. Having noticed that hogs and other animals grew 

 excessively fat from devoming the Locusts, and considering that tho use of them as 

 food for man would tend to relieve some of the distress occasioned in the devastated 

 districts, lie had, shortly before leaving St. Louis, organized a banquet at which the 

 Locusts, prepared in various ways (especially in the foi-m of soup) were served up, 

 and they were pronoiuiced to be excellent. He distributed a number of baked 

 Locusts among the Members present. [These were tasted, but with no general 

 expression of satisfaction : they were pronounced excessively greasy, and probably 

 the best comparisoii was made by a Member who stated that they resembled burnt 

 mutton fat ; the ehitinous external integument was also disagreeable]. Mr. Kiley 

 further stated that he was desirous of taking a supply of cocoons of Microgaster 

 glomerattis to America, to lesson the ravages of the larva; of I'ieris rupee ou that 

 continent. 



The following papers were read : — 



Prof. Westwood's Descriptions of new Heteromcrous Coleoptera belonging to 

 tho family lilaptidce. 



Mr. Butler on a new species of Myriopod from Jfongolia. 



Mr. C. O. Watcrhouse on new Coleoptera from Port Bowen, Australia. 



Mr. Hcwitson forwarded a note respecting a paper by Mr. Butler in tho first 

 part of the Transactions for 1875, in which it was suggested respecting Netrocoryne 

 beata and N. Denitza that Hewitson's figures of these species [Exot. But. Vol. v] 

 were wrongly numbered. Mr. Hcwitson said they were numbered quite correctly, 

 and that he believed they would be foimd to be the sexes of N. beata. 



The President stated that this was the last meeting that would be held at 

 Burlington House, and tliat due notice woidd be given when the arrangements at 

 the Society's now rooms at 11, Chandos Street, Cavendish Square, were completed, 

 the Library having been already removed to that place. 



Mr. Dunning proposed, and Mr. McLachlau seconded, a cordial vote of thanks 

 to the Linnean Society for the permission to hold the meetings at their rooms, so 

 long enjoyed by the Entomological Society. Tlis was carried by acclamation. 



