92 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



experience of life on the part of the caterpillars was to eat up their 

 dead mother's body ! It might be asked why some females should be 

 so different, not only from the males of the same species, but from the 

 other females of the same family ? At present no satisfactory answer 

 could be given, and examination of the larvre did not show any differ- 

 ence between those which produced winged males and wingless 

 females. There were other examples of wingless females among 

 other groups of insects. Thus the cochineal females were wingless, 

 the summer broods of aphides, some cockroaches, stick insects, and a 

 very notable case, the glowworms. In the last-named the females 

 were not only wingless, but alone were luminous, while the males, 

 different in appearance, flew well. 



It was strange that, in some cases, the sex to which wings would 

 seem more important, should not only be destitute of them, but that 

 as far as decoration, power of locomotion, and the possession of certain 

 organs went, the so-called perfect insect should fall short of the 

 immature or larval form. 



November 28th. — Microscopical Meeting. Mr. G. Scott, President, 

 in the chair. 



Mr. Wonfor, after announcing the receipt for the cabinet of four 

 slides from Mr. W. H. Smith, and one from Mr. Gwatkin, stated that 

 as the next Microscopical Meeting would fall on Boxing Day, it was 

 determined not to meet on that evening. He also announced that 

 Mr. T. Curties had sent down for exhibition some slides, designated a 

 " Microscopical Novelty," in which birds, flowers, and insects had 

 been built up from the scales of butterflies and moths. Though to 

 the microscopist they were only toys, yet they were marvels of what 

 patience and skill could do. 



Mr. W. H. Smith then read a paper " On the Ingredients of the 

 Unfermented Drinks — Tea, Coffee, and Cocoa." 



The meeting then became a conversazione, when the ingredients 

 of tea, coffee, and cocoa, with their adulterations, prepared by Mr. 

 Smith, were exhibited under the microscope by Mr. W. H. Smith, 

 Drs. Badcock and Hallifax, and Messrs. Wonfor, B. Glaisyer, and 

 T. Glaisyer. Later inj the evening Mr. Wonfor exhibited the micro- 

 scopical marvels made out of insect scales, which were pronounced to 

 be very beautiful and ingenious. It was mentioned that they could 

 only be obtained at Baker's, Holborn. 



Beading Microscopical Society.* 



November 5th. — Captain Lang presided. 



Mr. Austin read a paper " On the Structure of the Floating- 

 bladders of the Common Bladdcrwort ( Utricularia vulgaris)," de- 

 scribing more particularly the microscopic structure of the air vessels, 

 and the several forms of hairs peculiar to them. The paper was 

 illustrated by mounted sections and sketches. 



Mr. Tatem exhibited mounts of Necrophorus vespertilio, Aphis aceris, 

 and of the vulvar appendages of Epeira diadema. 



* Report supplied by Mr. B. J. Austin, Devonshire House, Bath Road, 

 Reading:. 



