( xxiii ) 



Professor E. B. Poultox, F.R.S., read a paper entitled 

 " Notes upon some remarkable parasitic insects from North 

 Queensland " by F. P. Dodd, F.E.S., and exhibited the fine and 

 carefully labelled material sent by the author. This material 

 consisted of a series of Braconidae, bred from Lepidopterous 

 hosts, Chalcididx from Lepidopterous and Hymenopterous 

 hosts, and a new Cyrtid fly of the genus Oycodes, bred from 

 the Attid spider, Cosmophasis hitaeniata, Keys. The accurate 

 observations upon these parasitic species render the paper of 

 much value. Thus the host of the extraordinary and beautiful 

 Chaleidid genus Schizasjndea of Westwood has never before 

 been observed ; but Mr. Dodd records that the specimen 

 obtained by him — an example of a new species — was bred from 

 the pupa of a lai'ge ant of the genus Cam20onotus. Professor 

 Poulton desired to express his warm thanks for the kind and 

 cordial help he had received from distinguished naturalists, 

 in naming and describing the matei'ial, communicated to 

 him by Mr. Dodd. In an Appendix to the paper the new 

 forms of Braconidse and Chcdcididie were described by Colonel 

 C. T. Bingham, and the new Cyrtid fly by Dx". Benno Wandol- 

 leck of Dresden. The ants had been kindly named by 

 Professor Auguste Forel of Merges, and the Attid spider by 

 Dr. G. W. Peckham of Milwaukee. 



Colonel C. T. Bixgham read the following note on " A Plague 

 of Ants in the Observatory district, Cape Town, South Afinca," 

 and illustrated his remarks with specimens of the insects referred 

 to by him. 



"The remarkable occurrence to which this note refers was 

 communicated to me by G. A. James Eothnej', a Fellow 

 of this Society. With his letter telling me of it, Mr. 

 Rothney forwarded to me some correspondence and a cutting 

 from a local paper at Cape Town, also specimens of the ants. In 

 his letter Mr. Rothney says : ' The head manager of our South 

 African business has been writing me at different times about 

 a plague of ants which has attacked a suburb of Cape Town 

 known as the Observatory distiict. I asked him to send me a 

 short report, accompanied with specimens of the ant, and these 

 have now come to hand.' He goes on to say : ' There has also 

 been a good deal of correspondence in local papers, with hot 



