68 lAujfust, 



through the Ent. Mo. Mag., of the name of the fungus. — C. Donovan, Jun., West- 

 view, Q-landore, Leap, Co. Cork : July 3rd, 1885. 



[We have communicated privately with our correspondent, but as the error 

 into which he has fallen is one of frequent occurrence, we reproduce the substance 

 of our remarks. The objects attached to the head of the Plusia are not fungi, but 

 are the pollen-masses (Pollinia) of some wild Orchid, and it is by means such as this 

 that these plants are cross-fertilized. In this pai'ticular instance there are two 

 pollen-masses, one attached to one of the eyes (and " growing out of it," as it were), 

 the other grasped in the coiled-up hanstellum. — Eds.] 



Entomological Society of London. — June 3rd, 1885 : R. McLachlan, Esq., 

 E.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



Messrs. R. A. Adkin, of Lingards Road, Lewisham, and G-. T. Baker, of Edg- 

 baston, Birmingham, were elected Members. 



Mr. Pascoe exhibited coloured drawings of curious elongate swellings on the 

 roots of an exotic Orchidaceous plant, showing remarkable resemblance to caterpil- 

 lars ; also a new genus and species of Colydiidce, remarkable for having erect scales 

 on the eyes, he proposed to name it Optus hicarinaius. 



Mr. Douglas sent for exhibition a small piece of bark of an old apple tree, 

 crowded with scales of Mytilaspis pomorum, lying on and over each other. He 

 remarked that the tree had been healthy until about five years ago, but had since 

 gradually faded, and was now dead ; the unhealthy condition was coincident with 

 the appearance of the Mytilaspis and of Schizoneura lanigera. The President 

 remarked that this was one of those cases in which it was difEcult to decide whether 

 the insects were there because the tree was unhealthy, and or were the cause of the 

 latter condition. It was difficult to imagine what nutriment the Mytilaspis could 

 obtain from the outer layer of bark, which, even in healthy old apple trees, was 

 practically dead. 



Mr. Porritt exhibited living larvae of Phycis letulce, and a series of Coleophora 

 currucipennella bred from birch. 



Mr. Coverdale exhibited specimens of Coleophora paludicola, Staiwton, described 

 in this Magazine, ante p. 9, and remarked that it appeared to him very similar to 

 C. adjunctella, Hodgkinson, Ent. Mo. Mag., xviii, p. 189. 



The President exhibited the example of Beiopeia pulchella, caught in the 

 Atlantic Ocean, noticed at ante, p. 12. 



Mr, Enock read the concluding portion of his paper on Atypus pieeus, and ex- 

 hibited specimens and drawings. In this he specially detailed the habits of the ? 

 spider. A noticeable feature appeared to be that in order to obtain food a rent was 

 made in the aerial portion of the tube when an insect was felt to be outside, by 

 means of the spider's falces, the insect was then drawn into the tube through the 

 rent, which was instantly repaired. The paper gave rise to considerable discussion, 

 in which several Members joined. 



