cv 
‘the larva would in the ordinary course begin to spin, the precise time being of great 
importance; it was dipped first in vinegar, then in water, after which the silk-vessel 
was capable of being extracted in many cases to the length of from twenty to thirty 
feet. 
Mr. Janson said that in the South of Europe “ gut” was obtained from the common 
silkworm. 
Prof. Westwood added that one of the Saturnia cocoons contained a Chalcis and 
another Hymenopterous parasite, but the pupa was nevertheless quite perfect. 
Mr. M‘Lachlan mentioned that Dr. Balbiani had recently called the attention of 
the Soc. Ent. de France to the facility with which the silkworm disease might be com- 
municated to the healthy larvee of other Lepidoptera. He had taken larve of the same 
brood of Bombyx neustria, and fed some upon healthy leaves of Scorzonera, others 
upon leaves of the same plant which he sprinkled with water in which diseased silk- 
worms had been pounded; the former were healthy and well developed, the latter 
were small, soon filled with corpuscles, and died at the first moult. Dr. Balbiani had 
also inoculated with muscardine the larve of clothes-moths, by throwing on the infested 
clothes a powder formed of the débris of muscardined silkworms; the infection being 
more rapid and certain when the powder was fresh, less so when dried. 
Mr. Stainton had to record a new habitat for the larva of a Tinea; Mr. Swanzy 
had shown him the larva-case of a Tinea which was taken from the horn of a kooloo” 
from Natal, and there could be little doubt that the larva must have been burrowing 
in the horn of the living animal. 
Mr. Swauzy added that, since Mr. Stainton’s visit, he had found a living larva in 
the horn. 
Mr. Trimen had seen the skull of a hartebeest, the base of which was eaten by 
what he had no doubt was the larva of a Tinea. 
Mr. Trimen exhibited a grasshopper of the genus Peecilocerus, of which he had 
found the pupe in copula: it was not an isolated case, but he had seen hundreds of 
pairs of the nymphs at Natal at the beginning of the present year. 
Mr. Trimen exhibited a Mantis with minute fore legs, remarkable for its 
resemblance to a Phasma. 
Mr. Bates remarked that its likeness to a Bacillus was very close, and suggested 
that it would be found to feed upon Bacillus, which, deceived by the imitation of its 
own form, would fall an easy prey to the Mantis. 
Mr. M‘Lachlan reported that Boreus hyemalis had been lately taken by Messrs. 
Douglas and Scott, amongst moss, near Croydon. 
December 2, 1867. . 
Sir Joun Lussocr, Bart., President, in the chair. 
Additions to the Library. 
The following donations were announced, and thanks voted to the donors:— 
‘Proceedings of the Zoological Society,’ 1867, Part ii.; presented by the Society, 
oO 
