Mr. Newman read the two following notes : — 



The Lost Spider. 



" ' The Rev. Reveit Sheppard has oflen noticed in the fen ditches of Norfolk a very 

 large spider, which actually forms a raft for the purpose of obtaining its prey with 

 more facility. Keeping its station upon a ball of weeds about three inches in 

 diameter, probably held together by slight silken cords, it is wafted along the surface 

 of the water upon this floating island, which it quits the moment it sees a drowning 

 insect ; not, as you may suppose, for the sake of applying to it the process of the 

 Humane Society, but of hastening its exit by a more speedy engine of destruction. 

 The booty thus seized, it devours at leisure upon its raft, under which it retires when 

 alarmed by any danger.' — Introduction to Entomology, i. 428, Edition of 1828. 

 There is good ground for giving implicit credence to the foregoing statement; 

 Mr. Sheppard was an acute entomologist, a careful observer, and a gentleman of 

 unquestionable veracity. It is therefore remarkable that this large spider should, even 

 at the present hour, remain unknown to arachnologists. I shall be greatly obliged to 

 any Norfolk entomologist who will seek it, and, if successful, send me specimens, 

 together with any additional notes on its interesting economy." 



The Silk Spider of St. Helena. 



" ' The silk spider of St. Helena is very handsomely marked and banded : it spreads 

 its web in the warm valleys, and the tibres of its cocoon are so strung as readily to 

 admit of being spun : indeed, they might be used as a substitute for silk.' — Fosterh 

 Voyage, i. 373. There is scarcely a statement in the volumes where this is extracted 

 but has been verified by subsequent writers. Can any entomologist give further par- 

 ticulars of this silk spider .I"" 



Mr. Newman read a paper entitled 'Characters of apparently undescribed Austra- 

 lian insects, collected at Moreton Bay by J. Gibbon, Esq., including the following 

 species of various orders, — Dorcostoma Jansoni, Alaus Gibboni, Stenoderus quietus, 

 Euplcea Lycophrou, Pangonia Walkeri and Dasypogon Grantii.' 



Mr. Staintou read a paper entitled ' How may the onward progress of the Study of 

 Entomology be best furthered?' 



Part 7, Vol. iii., n. s., of the Society's ' Transacticms,' recently published, was on 

 the table. 



March 3, 185(3. 

 W. Wilson Saunders, Esq., President, in the chair. 



Donations. 



The following donations were announced, and thanks ordered to be given to the 

 donors: — 'Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England,' Vol. xvi. Part 2; 



