39 



vulgaris in the springs, as sufficient proof that the hexaj:^oiial form was not caused by 

 two insects workino- at the same time at the fonnaliou of adjoining cells, as had bceu 

 suggested to be the cause with bees ; he also exhibited nests of a South American spe- 

 cies of Polybia, and of Icaria gutUitipennis, in which he observed the outside cells 

 were as angular as those in the centre of the layers of comb, thus proving that the 

 hexagonal form could not, in these instances, result from lateral pressure. 



Dr. Gray observed that the theory of lateral pressure certainly was not applicable 

 to the cells of wasps, as they are constructed of a material, which when once hardened 

 never alters its form. 



Mr. Downie exhibited a small observatory hive of his own invention, fixed on the 

 top of the stock hive, and a hive, constructed by him, with an improved mode of 

 veutilatiou. 



October 4, 1858. 



J. O. Westwood, Esq. V.P., in the chair. 



Donations. 

 The following donations were announced, and thanks ordered to be presented to 

 the donors: — ' Biblotheca Historico-naturalis. Achter Jahrgang, von Ernst A. 

 Zuchold ; ' presented by the Editor. ' Proceedings of the Zoological Society,' Nos. 

 350 to 3G2 ; by the Society. ' Proceedings of the Eoyal Society,' No. 32 ; by 

 the Society. ' Memoires d' Entomologie publiees par la Societe Entomologique des 

 Pays-bas, Livraisons,' 4, 5 and 6 ; by the Society. ' The Journal of the Society of 

 Arts ' for September ; by the Society. 'The Zoologist' for October; by the Editor. 

 ' The Literary Gazette ' for September; by the Editor. ' The Athenaeum ' for Sep- 

 tember ; by the Editor. ' The Natural History of the Tineina,' Vol. iii. ; ' Manual of 

 British Moths and Butterflies,' Nos. 20 and 21 ; ' The Entomologist's Weekly Intelli- 

 gencer ' for 1858; the same. No. 105 ; by H. T. Stainton, Esq. ' Monographic des 

 Elaterides,' par M. E. Candize, Tome Premier ; by the Author. 



Election of Members. 

 R. H. Mitford, Esq., of Haverstock Place, Hampstead, was ballotted for and 

 elected a Member: and W. H. Allchin, Esq., 7, Pembridge Villas, Bayswater, 

 a Subscriber to the Society, 



Exhibitions. 

 Mr. Stainton exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Boyd, some of the latter gentleman's 

 most interesting captures in Cornwall this summer, interesting not merely as species 

 new to our lists, but from the fact that some of these insects had only hitherto been 

 found in the Mediterranean or at Madeira. The principal species exhibited were 



1. Diasemia Ramburialis, of which Mr. Bojd had only taken a single specimen ; 

 this species was first detected in the Island of Corsica. 



2. Gclechia leucomelanella, a conspicuous black and white species, hitherto known 

 only as a native of Central Europe, bred from Silene maritima. 



3. Gelechia Cornubice, n. s. (or a variety of Solutella) ; this was not scarce among 

 the Cornish heath [Erica vagans). 



4. Gelechia Ocellaiella,i). s., bred from Beta maritima; this species had been 

 obtained in Madeira by Mr. Wollaston. 



