THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 63 



at which he was sitting, and at first sight they had the 

 appearance of a column of ants. 



January 25, 1875 (Anniversary Meeting). 



Sir Sidney Smith Saunders, C.M.G., President, in the 

 chair. 



[After the usual review of the state of the Society, and 

 obituary notices of Prof. Zetterstedt, Dr. Herrich-Schaeffer, 

 George Robert Crotch, Francis Walker, Dr. Antoine Dours, 

 and John Traherne Moggridge, the President gave the 

 following lucid and instructive summary of the progress of 

 Economic Entomology on the Continent of Europe, in the 

 United States, and in England, alluding to the several 

 subjects of " Phylloxera of the Vine," " Colorado Potato- 

 beetle," " Bee -Keeping," "Economy of White Ants," 

 "Economy of Stingless Bees," "Habits of Social Hyme- 

 noptera," and " Fertilization of Flowers by Insects," as 

 follows: — ] 



The Phylloxera of the Vine. — The ravages of the Phyl- 

 loxera Vastatrix, and the remarkable incidents connected 

 with the life-history of this minute but formidable enemy of 

 the viticulturists, have been the subject of many interesting 

 communications to the Academic des Sciences of Paris, and 

 to the French Entomological Society, during the past year. 

 Among the innumerable remedies which have been advo- 

 cated and tested as a means of checking the progress of this 

 scourge, the only treatment hitherto recognised as absolutely 

 effective is the submersion of the vineyards, where prac- 

 ticable, during one month in winter, which has been attended 

 with perfect success. The principal facts ascertained in 

 connexion with the biology of these destructive Homoptera 

 may not be undeserving of some notice, considering the vast 

 proportions which their propagation and extension have now 

 assumed. The young larvae, which hybernate on the roots 

 of the vine, whether derived from the autumnal sexual races 

 adverted to in the sequel, or (as it would seem) from ante- 

 cedent broods, commence laying eggs in the early spring, 

 their progeny producing and reproducing in continuous 

 succession by agamogenesis, as usual among the Aphides, 

 though, unlike these, always oviparous. xAmong these 

 successive broods some individuals never acquire wings ; 



