Ivi JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 



were confined exclusively to Rhenish wines and the rare Sliiraz, and 

 consequently that it may be inferred that the Mycetcea has a peculiar 

 taste for these kinds of wine. Kirby and Spence (Introduction, vol. i. 

 p. 246,) mention the attack of white ants upon a pipe of fine old 

 Madeira for the sake of the staves, which were probably strongly im- 

 bued with the wine, and perhaps thus rendered more agreeable to 

 the taste of the Termites, and hence it is probable that the saturation 

 of the corks by these two peculiar wines rendered them more pala- 

 table to the insects, whilst, for the same reason, the corks of the 

 other wines remained untouched. Indeed the corks of a large 

 stock of claret were injured, but only as far as that point where they 

 remained free from all tincturing of the wine. These bottles were 

 placed in the lowest range of bins in the cellars, and from the manner 

 in which they were eaten, it appeared evident that the injury was 

 caused by Blattce, which, however, evidently did not relish the tinc- 

 ture of the claret, although they vdll attack almost everything, an 

 instance of which is mentioned where they devoured the whole inside 

 of a lemon after a thin slice of the peel had been taken off, leaving 

 only the pips and fibrous particles untouched. 



It was stated, in conclusion, that it was the intention of Mr. Saun- 

 ders's friend to try the effect of successive fumigation of the cellar, 

 by sulphur, for the purpose of destroying the insects which might 

 still remain in the corks. 



"Descriptions oi Elenchus Templetonii, a new Strepsipterous In- 

 sect." By J. O. Westwood. (See p. 173.) 



Mr, Thompson, of Belfast, who was present as a visitor, stated, that 

 having been present at the unrolling of the mummy from which the 

 insects exhibited at this meeting had been extracted, he had noticed 

 that the chest and head, as well as the thigh, were found to be nearly 

 filled with dead specimens of these insects ; likewise that the exter- 

 nal roUs of the mummy were entire, and that it was not until they 

 approached the body that any insects were found between the 

 folds, and in which part the bandages appeared to have holes in them, 

 as though made by the insects. — Mr. Hope stated that the insects 

 ■were evidently similar to those which he had described under the 

 names of Dermestes pollinetus and Necrobia Mumiarum. (See p. xi.) 

 In reference to Mr. Saunders's paper. Colonel Sykes mentioned 

 that the corks in his wine-cellar in London were, at the present time, 

 attacked by the common cockroach, and that it appeared that the 

 insects preferred the corks of those wines which contained most sac- 

 charine matter. In India the Blatta had especially attacked the 

 corks of his malmsey and Constantia wine-bottles. 



Mr. Quickett, who was present as a visitor, mentioned that in 



