Mr. Higgins exhibited a series of beautiful species of Cetoniidae, pi'inci- 

 pally from Java, which he had recently obtained from Dr, Mohniki. The 

 most striking species were as follows: — Pryenia Vollenhoveni, Mohniki; 

 Diceros Petelii, Bugitet; Coryphcena gloriosa, Mohniki; Clinteria flavo- 

 marginata, Wiedemann ; Glycyphana picta, Mohniki; G. palliata, Mohniki; 

 G. albomaculata, Mohniki; Eupoecila balteata, VoUenhoven ; and Choleras- 

 toma spondylidea, Mohniki. 



Mr. Jenner "Weir stated that having recently planted many shrubs, of a 

 variegated form, of Pihamnus alaternus in his garden at Blackheath, they 

 were at once discovered by Gonopteryx rhamni, which deposited its ova 

 upon them. He had not observed this butterfly in his garden for sixteen 

 years, and considered it remarkable that the presence of the Rhamnus 

 should have so soon attracted it, considering that this evergreen species was 

 so totally unlike our two indigenous species in outward appearance. 



Mr. IM'Lachlan read the following communication which he had received 

 from Prof. Alfred Newton : — 



" Did you not long ago ask about birds eating dragonflies? Mr. S. S. 

 Allen (' Ibis,' 186-2, p. 300) says that the bottom of the chamber excavated 

 by Merops persicus (segyptius) was covered with the remains of dragonflies, 

 mostly wings, upon which the eggs were deposited. In the common 

 M. apiaster the eggs are said to be generally laid on handsfull of elytra and 

 legs of Coleoptera, the rejectamenta of their meals : doubtless these dragon- 

 fly wings are the same, as, a few lines further on, he says he found them 

 made into pellets." 



Mr. Miiller called attention to the following extract from the ' Times' of 

 the 29th of May, respecting a plague of ants in the Island of May : — 



" The Northern Lighthouse Commissioners have had a somewhat curious 

 case presented to them for consideration and investigation. It appears that 

 for some years past the emmets, or ants, liave been increasing in number to 

 a most enormous extent on the May Island, the property of the Lighthouse 

 Board, and at present every part of the island is so infested with these little 

 creatures as to render the land useless to the light-keepers. The myriads of 

 insects by their burrowing are also raising considerable hillocks. For the pur- 

 pose of investigating the matter, with a view to adopt means to exterminate 

 the insects, a party of gentlemen left Edinburgh on Saturday morning, and 

 proceeded from Granton in the ' Pharos ' to examine the state of the island. 

 The steamer sailed at 9.30 a. m., and among the gentlemen who embarked 

 were the Lord Provost, Provost "Watt, of Leith, Bailie Millei-, and Sheriff 

 Fordyce, Commissioners ; the professional gentlemen were Professors Sir Pi. 

 Christison, Stevenson Macadam, Maclagan, "Wyville Thomson, &c. Mr. D. 

 Stevenson, engineer to the Board, was also present. "When off Crail two 



E 



