PSYCHE. 69 
ES ¥ © TH By 
CAMBRIDGE, MASS., MAY 1880. 
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PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
5 Fes. 1880.—... Mr. A. Hammond exhibited 
a larva of Tanypus maculatus. He mentioned 
that the coronet and appendages of the thoracic 
and anal regions had been said to be homologous 
with the respiratory organs of the larva and pupa 
of gnats, &c. This he doubted, inasmuch as the 
former originated from the ventral and not dor- 
sal surface, as did the latter, and no tracheae of 
any size could be traced in them. The two oval 
bodies in the thorax, De Geer’s so-called “air 
reservoirs,” he (Mr. Hammond) considers to be 
salivary glands, similar to those of the larva of 
the Crane Fly previously described by him.... 
— The Athenaeum, 14 Feb. 1880, p. 220. 
19 Fes. 1880.— Specimens of ants, allied to 
if not identical with Phetdole javana Mayr, were 
shown by Mr. Jas. Britten, as also a series of 
young and old plants sent by Mr. H. O. Forbes 
from Borneo, viz: Myrmecodia echinata and M. 
glabra. The underground stems of these latter 
all exhibited tunneled galleries not unlike the 
borings of the white ant Termites. These cham- 
bered stem enlargements illustrate a statement 
of Sig. Beccari that the plants’ existence is es- 
sentially bound up with the ants’, for unless the 
latter attack the young growing Myrmecodiae, 
the latter soon die.— Another piece of ants’ 
work was shown by Dr. M. Musters, viz: a 
pitcher plant, Nepenthes bicalcarata, also from 
Borneo. It seems these peculiar pitchers, from 
having incurved spinous ridges round their 
throats, are perfect traps to creeping insects. 
To take advantage of the contained food and 
water, a species of black ant, too wise to enter 
by the lid, ingeniously perforates the stalk, and 
making a passage upwards, provides a safe inroad 
and exit to the sumptuous fare of dead and de- 
caying insects within the pitcher. ...—J. Murie 
in Zool. Anzeiger, 22 March 1880, p. 143-144. 
ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF ONTARIO — MON- 
TREAL BRANCH. 
17 May 1880.— 7th annual meeting.— The fol- 
lowing persons were elected to office for the en- 
suing year: G: J: Bowles, President; G: B. 
Pearson, jr., Vice-president ; G: H. Bowles, Sec- 
retary; Frank Butler Caulfield, Curator; H: 
Herbert Lyman, W: Couper, and Robert Jack, 
Members of the Council. 
The annual report of the Council shows the 
society to be progressing favorably. A number 
of valuable works have been added to the library 
during the year, and the following papers have 
been read at the monthly meetings : — 
1. “ A description of the male Alypia maccul- 
lochii, Kirby.” — W : Couper. 
2. “ Notes ona species of Cossus taken at Mon- 
treal.” — Frank Butler Caulfield. 
3. “The milk plant, its insect parasites, red 
and black in color.” — W : Couper. 
4, “ How to preserve specimens of insects.” — 
G:J: Bowles. 
5. “ On luminous insects.” — G: H. Bowles. 
6. “ Montreal hymenoptera.” — W : Couper. 
7. “Notes on rearing lepidoptera.” — H: Her- 
bert Lyman. 
8. “Some of the insects that frequent the or- 
chard and garden,” by Rev. F. W. Fyles. (Se- 
lected.) —G: J: Bowles. 
Several tours were made by the members, 
during the summer, to the different collecting 
grounds in the vicinity of Montreal, with good 
results, a number of new species for our cata- 
log being discovered. 
Altogether, 1 am glad to say, our science is 
not being neglected here, though, perhaps, not 
receiving the attention it deserves, or would 
have were more time at our disposal. 
G: H. Bowes, Secretary. 
