238 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



of Orchids, but had unfortunately died a few hours before the 

 Meeting. Mr. Baly recognized the beetle as belonging to 

 the genus Prioptera, probably a new Himalayan species. 



Mr. Stainton exhibited a nest of smooth (hairless) Lepi- 

 doplennis larvs found near Marlborough, hanging from a 

 beech-tree by means of silken strings, which were at first 

 mistaken for threads. 



Mr. Dunning read the following extract from the 'Journal 

 of the Society of Arts' for the 14th of April, 18G5 : — " A new 

 American Silkworm. — It appears, from ' Silliman's Journal,' 

 thai, after numerous experiments, Mr. L. Trouvelot, of Med- 

 ford, Mass., has succeded in rearing successfully, and in great 

 numbers, Attacus Polyphemus, Linn., and in preparing from 

 its cocoon an excellent quality of silk, possessing great lustre 

 and strength, and pronounced superior to Japanese and all 

 other silks, except the best Chinese, by competent judges. 

 The silk is unwound by a simple process perfected by Mr. 

 Trouvelot, each cocoon yielding about 1500 yards. This 

 insect is very hardy, being found throughout the Northern 

 States and Canada; and, as it feeds upon the leaves of oak, 

 maple, willow, and other common forest trees, may be reared 

 easily in any part of the country. Mr. Trouvelot has gra- 

 dually increased his stock from year to year, by raising young 

 from the eggs of the few individuals first captured, until he 

 has at present seven waggon-loads of cocoons, the entii-e pro- 

 geny of which he proposes to raise during the coming sea- 

 son. The first public notice of his experiments with this 

 insect was given by Mr. Trouvelot at a meeting of the Insti- 

 tute of Technology, at Boston, about a year ago, when he 

 exhibited specimens of silk manufactured from it, both na- 

 tural-coloured and dyed." 



Mr. F. Smith read the following letter from Dr. T. C. Jer- 

 don, dated " Lahore, March 16, 1865:" — " I have at last got 

 hold again, after a long absence, of the specimens of workers 

 of Dorylus, and they are, as you suggested, evidently, I 

 think, Typhlopone. It is, however, strange to say, quite a 

 Termes in its Iiabits, working under ground entirely, and 

 never coming outside except when the males are coming 

 forth winged, when they accompany them in swarms to the 

 holes by which they make their exit. I first observed the 

 workers at Mhow, in Central India, where they had under- 



