4 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



made on this occasion, in disturbing the spiders stored as food for 

 the larvae in the cells, and the removal of the egg, describing the 

 proceedings of the constructor in connection therewith. He also 

 explained the mode of constructing the briar-cells of the Raphiglossa, 

 Psiliglossa, and others of similar habits; and the remarkable circum- 

 stance of the occupant of the first-made and consequently lowest 

 cell being the last to emerge in the imago state; the lowest cells 

 being larger and provided with a more abundant store of food, 

 producing invariably the female sex ; and the upper cells, less amply 

 provisioned, being devoted to the males, which emerge the first 

 in the perfect state. He also called attention to the peculiar mode 

 in which the Raphiglossa reposes .at night, by holding on to the 

 extremity of a briar-snag or other projecting part with its powerful 

 mandibles, the body being retained in a horizontal position, and 

 having usually the wings twisted beneath the abdomen as a means 

 of support; showing a specimen thus attached which had been 

 killed in this position. He likewise pointed out many remarkable 

 structural peculiarities in several of the specimens exhibited, and 

 described the characteristic venation of the wings in the respective 

 sections and genera, whereby the different races are readily dis- 

 tinguishable according to the alary system of classification. 



Dr. Bossey exhibited and presented to the Club a portion of 

 cedar wood permeated throughout by the mycelium of a fungus, 

 stating that a large cedar tree at Chelsea had died in consequence 

 of being attacked by this fungus. The late Mr, Quekett, from 

 whom he received the specimen had ascertained that it was the 

 material of which some wasps had constructed their nests. 



Mr. J. Linnell, jr. exhibited several Hymenoptera collected in 

 the Reigate district, among which were several interesting species 

 of Tenthredinidae comprising fine specimens of the Sirex gigas, 

 Clavellaria amerinse, and Abia nigricornis with some of their pupa 

 cases. 



Evening Meeting, Jan. 14^^,1876. Mr. Sydney Webb pre- 

 sented statistics, and made some remarks respecting the rainfall of 

 the district, giving reasons why the fall at the elevation of 274 feet 

 above the sea level at Redhill so closely corresponds with that at 

 Hillfield, Reigate, at an elevation of 416 feet. In the latter case 

 the amount of the rainfall is influenced by the neighbouring hills 

 crowned with wood, and in the former case not so much by woods 

 as by the valley between Redhill and Redstone Hill which frequently 

 produces currents or eddies in the air. The fall at Redhill for the 

 years 1871 to 1874 inclusive (omitting, however, 1872 — a very ex- 

 ceptionally wet year, and therefore not fairly to be included in such a 



