51 
collected hitherto than any other order, the relative value of the seven principal 
orders of insects in South Australia is as under: — 
Relative number of species. 
Coleoptera. - : : : 20 
. 
Hymenoptera. ° : : : : : elle 
Lepidoptera. , : - : ; : A 64 
Diptera. ° 6 . : : : . «4 
Hemiptera and Heteroptera. : 2 
Orthoptera - : : : : : ° 1 
Neuroptera. : : F : $ 
“ The remaining orders, Thysanoptera, Aphaniptera, &c., have as yet yielded so 
few species (of Strepsiptera, I believe, no species has yet been found) that I do not 
notice them here. The number of the Coleoptera would be more nearly attained by each 
of the three orders which immediately follow, if the latter were more looked after, as 
in a few of the families of each there are hundreds of minute insects. In the list just 
given, the Hymenoptera are principally supported by the families Ichneumonidae and 
Apide ; the Lepidoptera by the numerous small moths; the Diptera by the Muscide ; 
the Homoptera by the Cercopide ; and the Orthoptera by the Locustide. With the 
exception of the last, this seems much the same as in European countries. 
“The collections of Coleoptera in the Adelaide Museum, in Mr. F. G. Water- 
house’s private cabinets, and my own, include by far the greatest number of known 
South-Australian species. These, with several other small collections, give the fol- 
lowing as (in round numbers) the now-known species of Coleoptera and of the seven 
most numerous families :— 
Total number of South-Australian Coleoptera, (say) 5000 species. 
These in a few years will probably be nearly doubled. 
Principal Families. Number in Collections. 
Curculionide . ; : : . About 600 species. 
Chrysomelide : : : 6 aye OU a5 
Buprestide F ; - : j oe 00's Va, 
Cerambycide ; : : F a LD 
Carabide ; ; : - : » 200 
Melolonthide : : Z : 1 LOOe + 
Helopide ; : : : : LOOP 
2000” 
The Secretary, after mentioning that the subject of Dr. Icéry’s ‘ Mémoire sur le 
Pou a poche blanche’ (of which a presentation copy was on the table) was identical 
with the sugar-cane-infesting Coccus of which specimens were exhibited at the June 
Meeting of the Society (ante p. 25), read a translation of the ‘Mémoire. The 
following are abridged extracts therefrom :— 
“ The Eggs and the Larve.—When the insect, improperly called a ‘louse,’ is 
examined on the plant where it has fixed itself, two distinct parts may be remarked, 
