1883.] 91 



Mr. Distant exhibited several species of Lantern Fly, and in connection there- 

 with asked Mr. Champion, who had just returned from Central America, whether 

 he had ever observed any indications of luminosity in these insects. Mr. Champion 

 said he had often kept them alive for a long time, and on no occasion did they 

 exhibit the slightest indication of luminosity. He also stated that he had found 

 larvae of some insect in the waxy secretion of Fulgora. Prof. Westwood suggested 

 they were probably Lepidopterous {cf. Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1876, p. 519, 1877, 

 ■p. 433). 



Dr. Sharp communicated a Revision of the PselaphidcB of Japan, chiefly from 

 the materials collected by Mr. Lewis. 



Mr. Lewis read a paper on the Lucanidce of Japan. This led to detailed re- 

 marks by Dr. Leithner, who has been in this country for some time engaged upon a 

 Monograph of the Family, in the course of which he suggested that the genus 

 jEsalus did not belong to the Lucanidce. 



Prof. Westwood read further notes on the Fig Insects of Ceylon. 



Mr. Cameron communicated descriptions of sixteen new species of parasitic 

 Cynipidce from Scotland. 



\st August, 1883. — The President in the Chair. 



W. H. B. Fletcher, Esq., of Worthing, was elected a Member. 



Mr. Billups exhibited Pompilus spissus, Schiodte, J ? , taken in Headley Lane, 

 a new locality for tliis rare species. 



Mr. H. J. Hoskiugs, of Brisbane, communicated a paper on Australian Bees, in 

 which the habits, &c., of various species were noticed. Trigona carhoiiaria, and a 

 new species of the same genus, make their nests in hollow trees, and are stingless, 

 but when incommoded, they smear the attackers with a gummy secretion, which 

 glues the eyelashes together, and render themselves annoying by biting the inside of 

 the nose, &c. 



Mr. Meldola read notes by Dr. Fritz Muller with regard to the behaviour of 

 inexperienced birds in their attacks on unpalatable butterflies, and on a larva which, 

 before pupation, forms circlets of its spinose hairs, both above and below it, on th© 

 twig on which it is about to pupate. 



Mr. H. Pryer sent notes on Japanese insects collected by a native of the country, 

 with remarks on the large number of species identical with those found in Britain. 



Entomological Collecting on a voyage in the Pacific {Resumed from Vol. xix, 

 p. 278). — We started from Callao on February 11th, our orders being to call at the 

 Marquesas, Tahiti, Oparo (or Eap-a), and Cook's Islands (Earotonga, &c.), and, after 

 calling again at Tahiti to fill up with coal, to return to Coquimbo by the middle of 

 July, taking Pitcairn Island on the way. For nearly a month we ran before a steady 

 trade-wind, with splendid weather and perfect temperature, very little animal life 

 though, either in sea or air, with the exception of flying fish, which were very plenti- 

 ful. "Frigate" and "Tropic" birds (Tachypetes aqulkis and Phaethon cetherins) 

 were also seen in small numbers ; we were not lucky enough to see a whale, although 

 we passed right through one of the principal whaling tracts. We were all very glad 

 to sight land once more on the 10th March, this being the Island of Fatsu-hiva, 

 the most southerly of the Marquesas group. We anchored in " Omoa " or "Bou 



H 2 



