311 



1(53. Locusts are only occasional visitors, but when they do come 

 they lay the land utterly desolate. A swarm was succeeded in a few 

 days by a flight of small black beetles, which came down like hail : 

 they were about the size of an earwig, and were said to have the 

 same habits. — Id. 



164. Tlie Seda sijlvestre, a sort of wild silk left in the w^oods by a 

 certain caterpillar, is found abundantly on the banks of the Puranna, 

 and would constitute a valuable export. Very good cochineal may 

 be gathered in Tucuman, besides a great quantity of bees' wax. A 

 few years ago notice was taken of a new mode of dying a green colour 

 from a production called by the Spaniards clavillo, from its resem- 

 blance to a little nail. Some persons consider it to be produced by 

 an insect smaller than the cochineal ; others believe it to be the in- 

 sect itself. Hitherto it has only been gathered in Cargrueja, and the 

 point is found introduced into the bark of a shrub. 



165. Entomological Society, February 7, 1842. Various donations 

 from the Royal Agricultural Society, the Royal Academy of Brussells, 

 Professor Pictet, Dr. Schaum and others, were announced. The 

 President stated that in consequence of the resignation of one of the 

 members of the Council, the Council had proposed to replace the Rev. 

 F. W. Hope in his stead. The President nominated Messrs. Hope, 

 Newport, and J. F. Stephens to be the Vice-Presidents for the ensu- 

 ing year. Mr. Westwood exhibited two apparently new and beautiful 

 Noctuidse from the neighbourhood of Carlisle, from the collection of 

 J, Reeves, Esq. Memoirs were read upon some new Australian ge- 

 nera of Chrysomelidae, by W. W. Saunders, Esq. ; upon some new 

 species of Longicornes and Curculionidaj from the Philippine Islands, 

 by G. R. Waterhouse, Esq. ; and upon Campodea Staphylinus, a new 

 Biitish genus of apterous insects, by J. O. Westwood. A series of 

 notes on the habits of the insects of Chusan and the neighbouring- 

 islands, by Dr. Cantor, was also presented : and the Secretary stated 

 that Mr. Weaver proposed to make an entomological excursion to the 

 north of Scotland, in the ensuing summer, and was anxious to obtain 

 subscribers for his captures. — J. O. W. 



166. Entomological Society, March 7, 1842. W. W. Saunders, 

 Esq., F.L.S., President, in the chair. Mr. Boreham exhibited some 

 curious varieties of Hipparchia Janira, Mr. S. Stevens a number of 

 minute Coleoptera found in moss, from the neighbourhood of Arun- 

 del, and Mr. Hope a specimen of a new and very strong kind of silk 

 furnished by Mr. Strachan. Mr. Hope also read a letter recently re- 

 ceived from Mr. Fortnum, containing numerous interesting particulars 



