86 
The undermentioned gentlemen who had been proposed for 
membership at the previous meeting were balloted for and declared 
duly elected :—Mr. Henry R. B. Podmore, ‘‘ Brambletye,” 
Bramley-hill; Mr. Alfred Toms, Lytchett Villa, Tavistock-road ; 
Mr. John Corry, ‘‘ Rosenheim,” Park Hill-road ; and Mr. T. B. ~ 
Moseley, 2, Raymond-buildings, Gray’s Inn. 
There were nominated for ballot at the next meeting Mr. Geo. 
Simonds, of Beddington-lane, and Mr. Charles Coleby Morland, 
Rastrick Lodge, Morland-road, Croydon. 
May 21st, 1873.—Paper on ‘‘ Our British Breeruzs,” by Mr. A. D. 
TAYLOR. 
The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and 
confirmed, 
The following gentlemen were nominated for election :—Mr. 
John Price, jun., Ashton House, Tavistock-road, Bedford-park ; 
and Mr. James Fletcher, Howard House, Enmore-park, South 
Norwood. 
The Prestpent then called upon Mr. A. D. Taylor to read a 
paper on ‘‘ Our British Beetles.” 
Beetles, Mr. Taynor said, may justly be called the scavengers of 
creation, for wherever there is any decaying matter, whether 
animal or vegetable, on land or in water, there will be found 
numbers of these insects, both in the lava and perfect state, 
actively engaged in its removal ; and so beautifully are they con- 
structed for this purpose, with large armour-like coverings to their 
bodies, or close brush-like hairs, that although many of them are 
found in most disgusting material of all kinds, yet none of the 
offensive matter clings to them in any form. Other species may 
be found in our gardens feeding upon snails, slugs, and various 
insects, not being by any means particular in eating each other. 
I have never seen any of these carnivorous beetles in groups, 
probably on account of this special failing of theirs ; while, on the 
other hand, the vegetable feeders are generally found in some 
numbers together; and it is among these last that our enemies may 
be found, more especially in the order commonly known as Weevils 
(Rhyncophora), the most destructive being the corn and rice 
Weevils. Ata meeting of the Entomological Society of London, 
in 1870, it was stated that 74 tons of Spanish wheat had been 
carefully sifted to separate the beetles from the corn, and out of 
this quantity, 10 ewt. of Weevils were sifted. Again, 145 tons of 
American maize were subjected to the same process, and at two 
siftings 13 tons of Weevils were removed ; and from the small size 
of these insects, there must have been many millions of them. I 
