117 
Mr. HENNAH then raised the question whether the irritation pro- 
duced by mosquitos and such insects was caused by extraneous or 
other poison. As to the stinging properties of gnats, he thought it 
probable that the irritation they caused resulted from their lancets 
retaining and imparting poison received from their last meal. Flies 
which had been in ‘a dissecting-room and afterwards bitten persons, 
had been known to cause gangrene of the part attacked. There was 
another thing, though not exactly microscopical, which he might then 
mention. It was the way in which the mosquitos were kept away from 
the dinner table in some districts of North America ; blocks of ice 
were placed on the centre of the table and the mosquitos would not 
approach within a considerable distance of them. 
It was suggested by Mr. LoMAX, that living as well as dead speci- 
mens of insects should be placed under the microscope at their meet- 
ings for the benefit of those members who had not microscopes of their 
own; but he was informed by Mr. Wonfor that live specimens had been 
shown two or three times, and would be again. 
At the same time, it was observed by Mr. HENNAH, that living 
specimens could not be examined or even shown with advantage to 
members who did not previously know anything about them. 
It was announced that Mr Brazenor had sent for distribution 
amongst the members :—The lower jaw of a rock python, the barb of 
a sting ray, scales of the armadillo, quills of the Brazilian porcupine, a 
skin of an English snake, and scales of the river crocodile. 
The meeting then became a conversazione, when the President (Mr 
Haselwood), and Messrs. Wonfor and Sawyer exhibited objects illus- 
trative of the discussion, including gnats, tabanus, and preparations 
of the organs of these insects. 
