113. 
Prof. Westwood added that he had recently observed one of his full-grown larva! 
of Saturnia Cynthia, which had been fed on its natural food, the Ailanthus, had’ 
emitted from the anus one or two large drops of fluid: prior to their change to the 
pupa state larve generally expelled as much fecal matter as possible; but was this 
fluid discharge to be regarded as part, or an extension, of the same phenomenon? 
was it the natural habit of the creature, or a symptom of disease ? 
Mr Stainton referred to Duponchel’s account of the larve as affected with “une 
légére diarrhée” when nearly full fed. 
Mr. F. Moore had not observed any of his larve of Saturnia Cynthia to be simi- 
larly affected; and he had fed some of them on Ricinus communis. 
The Secretary read the following, communicated by Mr. S. Stone, of Bright- 
hampton, under date of the 2nd of September, 1865 :— 
“ Scarcity of Wasps.—The immense falling off in the number of anticipated 
wasps’ nests which has taken place is most extraordinary. I had occasion to remark 
in the spring on the swarms of queen wasps which made their appearance, and on the 
unusual number of nests that were then to be found, I myself having observed no less. 
than thirty-five in one day (April 28th), but one after another became deserted, some 
in a few days after their commencement, others at periods more distant, till all had 
become tenantless, none having attained to a size larger than about that of an orange. 
I have found during the season sixty-one nests, but at the present time only two of the. 
number are progressing; the others I added, as fast as they became deserted, to my 
collection. The two above mentioned I removed some time ago to the interior of a 
warm room in a house I have used for the purpose of rearing wasps and observing 
their habits for some years past, where the work is at present being carried on; but 
I am in daily expectation of seeing the insects succumb to disease, as was the case 
with two other colonies I previously had at work in the same room: all seemed to be 
going on well with them till the 5th of August, when a sudden diminution in the 
number of workers, and a cessation from work, took place in both nests simultaneously ; 
and on examining them two or three days afterwards I found that nearly all the 
workers had disappeared, and that all the larve had sickened, died, and were in an 
advanced state of decomposition, having turned perfectly black: and this was also the 
case with very many of those that had spun themselves up and changed into pup; 
whence I infer that an epidemic more fatal in its character than that of last year, 
earlier in its appearance, aud far more wide-spread, attacked the family of social wasps, 
and has resulted in their almost total destruction, That earwigs (which swarm to an 
extent I never before witnessed), wood-lice and ants have been in some degree instru- 
mental in causing the destruction of nests, especially during the earlier periods of their 
formation, I have had abundant opportunities of proving; still that would hardly 
account for the universal destruction that has occurred. I did not find that more 
nests became deserted during the short periods of rain we occasionally had than 
during periods of the most charming and delightful weather, or that nests situated in 
moist ground fared worse than those in very dry situations.” 
Mr. Baly mentioned that, contrary to what seemed to be the general experience, 
wasps were this autumn abundant near Aberdeen. 
Mr. F. Smith had spent the month of August at Bournemouth, and had not seen 
a Single wasp, whereas in the same month of the previous year he could have obtained 
in the same locality twenty or thirly nests any morning: he thought it not improbable 
Q 
