33 



Of Longicorns, the Mallodon and Hammaticherus, with their transformations, are 

 interesting. 



Of Neuioptera, the male Termes is worthy of notice. 



And lastly, of the Spiders; there is the large Nephila, belonging to the same 

 group as our garden Epeira Diaderaa, and which makes very thick silken ropes, 

 which the late Mr. Whitfield once told Mr. White were so strong, that in the forest 

 the wanderer must take care of his face, as he might, if careless, be hurt by coming 

 against them. 



Mr. Smith also exhibited some interesting nests of Hymenoplera sent by Mr. Fox- 

 croft from Sierra Leone, amongst which was that of a species of Vespa, formed of a 

 perfectly white material ; and a leaf from the same locality covered with small purse- 

 shaped galls, from which a minute black species of Thrips had been bred. 



Mr. Westwood observed that although the species of Thrips were certainly 

 insectivorous, yet that certain species were well known as being amongst the greatest 

 pests to the horticulturist, puncturing the leaves of melon, cucumber and other 

 greenhouse plants ; the discovery that any species of this group formed galls was cer- 

 tainly quite a new fact, although from the great analogy with the Aphides, it was not 

 improbable that they might be gallicolous, in the same way as certain Aphidae forming 

 the genus Byrsocrypta. 



Mr. Walker also suggested that it was not improbable that the small finger-like 

 galls found so constantly on lime-tree leaves, and of which he had never observed the 

 inhabitants, were also the production of Thrips. 



Mr. Westwood, in reference to the exhibition by Mr. Janson, at the preceding 

 Meeting, of a minute species of Heteropterous Hemiptera found in ants'- nests, now 

 exhibited the type specimen of his Microphysa pselaphiformis, together with a speci- 

 men of Microphysa myrmecobia of Germar, which last was identical with Mr. Jan- 

 son's insect, although it was certainly not congenerical with the British type of the 

 genus, which had abbreviated elytra, whereas they entirely cover the abdomen in M. 

 myrmecobia, although destitute of an apical membrane. 



Mr. Stevens exhibited a small box of insects sent home by Mr. Shield from 

 Bahia. 



Mr. Stainton exhibited some leaves mined by the larvae of NepticuliE also sent 

 from Bahia by Mr. Shield, and being the first tropical examples ever brought to this 

 country. 



Mr. Stainton also exhibited specimens of Anthrocera Minos found on the west 

 coast of Scotland ; and the larva) of Cemiostoma lotella, mining the leaves of Lotus 

 major, in which they had been found in some plenty by Mr. T. Wilkinson. 



Mr. Westwood would take this opportunity of correcting the erroneous view which 

 Mr. Stainton had taken of the remarks made by him on specific differences, at the last 

 Meeting, asserting in the report of the ^Meeting published in ' The Entomologist's 

 Weekly Intelligencer,' p. 95, that they went fully the length of maiutaining the 

 development theory,— that is, the theory advocated by the Lamarckiau and 'Vestiges 

 of Creation ' schools, that an animal in a series of ages is able to develope itself into a 

 totally different kind of creature; that a mouse, for instance, anxious to fly, is able 

 after a long series of generations to acquire wings like a bat. Mr. Westwood, on the 

 contrary, affirmed the identity and permanence of species, but insisted not only on the 

 possibility of the modification of individuals composing the species, but also on the 



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