Ill 



Major Parry exhibited a North American beetle of somewhat doubtful 

 affinities, the Ochodyeus obscurus of Leconte (Journ. Ac. Philud. 1848, p. 8fi), 

 which name was afterwards changed by tlie author to Nicagus obscurus (Classif. 

 Coleop. N. Amer. 1861, p. 130). On his recent visit to this country. 

 Dr. Leconte presented Major Parry with a specimen of this insect, intimating 

 that he was not satisfied as to the position he had assigned to Nicagus, namely 

 among the Scarabfeoidea, between Acanthocerus and Trox, and suggesting that 

 it might possibly be better placed among the Lucanoidea. The specimen had 

 been carefully examined by Major Parry and Mr. Charles Waterhouse, but as 

 regarded the principal character of the antennae of the Lucanoidea, the immove- 

 ability of the leaflets of the clava, it was found that in Nicagus the leaflets were 

 slightly moveable : in this respect, however, Mr. Waterhouse found it to agree 

 with some Australian species of Ceratognathus, and in examining the mouth he 

 could not detect anything by which it could be separated from the Lucanoidea, 

 whilst the penicillate maxillae were alone sufficient to separate it from the 

 Trogidae. 



The Secretary read the following extract from a letter from Mr. Roland 

 Trimen, dated Cape Town, December 2, 1869, respecting the habits of some 

 species of Paussidae : — 



" I have found a specimen of Paussus Burmeisteri, Westw., in a singular 

 situation. Descending the Lion's Head mountain, close to the town, I observed 

 a small beetle resting at the extremity of a leaf of the common sugar-bush 

 {Protea mellifera), and a slight motion of its antennae at once discovered it to 

 be a Paussus. It seemed to be basking in the full sunshine ; the hour being 

 about 1.30 p. M. On attempting to take it with my fingers, the beetle instantly 

 dropped on the ground ; and I had to search for some minutes before I dis- 

 covered it among the debris beneath the bush. The plant of P. mellifera was 

 a low one, with several fully-opened flowers. Another of the Paussidae, the 

 Pentaplatarthrus paussoides of Westwood, I have met with lately not unfre- 

 quently, and a good many specimens have also been taken by Mr. Alfred C. 

 Harrison, who discovered the first example known to me as inhabiting this 

 neighbourhood. This beetle lives in the nests of a moderate-sized black ant, 

 under stones, and is usually conspicuous from its superior stature and shining 

 reddish brown colouring. Those that I have seen were either motionless or 

 walking slowly among the excited ants along one of the galleries ; and I could 

 not see that the ants, when disturbed by the removal of the stone roof of their 

 nest, showed any anxiety about the safety of the beetles, or indeed paid them 

 any notice whatever. Dr. Herman Becker, however, has told me that he believes 

 he saw some ants tnilk a specimen in the same manner as they treat the 

 Aphides. Mr. Harrison brought me a pair taken in copula in the nest ; an 

 interesting circumstance which leads me to think that the beetles seldom, if 

 ever, leave the formicarium. Another very much smaller species, a true 

 Paussus, which I have not yet determined, was found by the gentleman last 



