larva having been infested with Hymenopterous parasites, the determination 

 of the species was frustrated. 



Mr. Miiller exhibited the mode of hfe of three species of Dipterous 

 larvte in the fronds of Pteris aquilina, collected at Weybridge on the 29th 

 ultimo, viz. — rolls formed by the larva of Cecidomyia pteridis on the edge of 

 the fronds ; mines of some species of Muscidfe in the tips of the leaflets, 

 and a globular tent at the ends of the fronds, also produced by a species of 

 Muscidfe. 



Mr. Dunning called attention to an article in ' Nature ' for June 20th, 

 1872, by Mr. H. N. Moseley, concerning the sound produced by Acherontia 

 Atropos. After passing in review the various theories which proposed to 

 account for the production of this sound, Mr. Moseley detailed certain 

 experiments he had made, and arrived at the opinion held by many entomo- 

 logists that the sound is caused by expiration of air through the proboscis, 

 in connection with certain elevating and depressing muscles in the interior 

 of the head, which act upon a dome-shaped cavity or reservoir, after the 

 manner of bellows. 



Mr. Dunning further alluded to a letter by Dr. Le Conte in the same 

 journal for June 27th, 1872, concerning the parasite of the beaver (Platy- 

 psylla castoris, Eitsevm; Platypsyllus castorinus, Westivood), upon which 

 Prof. Westwood had founded the order Achreioptera, whereas Piitsema 

 placed it in the sub-order Aphaniptera. Dr. Le Conte stated that, in his 

 opinion, it pertained to the Coleoptera. Furthermore he thought the 

 insect was not truly a parasite, but rather an inquiline, living probably upon 

 epidermal scales. He announced that the Kev. A. Matthews had prepared 

 for him a series of beautiful dissections of the creature. 



Prof. Westwood observed that with reference to Dr. Le Conte 's remarks 

 on the Coleopterous nature of the genus, he could not recognize it as 

 belonging to the order Coleoptera; and that his detailed illustrations (which 

 he had recently shown to Dr. Le Conte) intended for publication in his 

 forthcoming ' Thesaurus Entomologicus,' had for some time been 

 engraved. 



Prof. Westwood called attention to the notice of the Board of Studies for 

 the Natural Science School at Oxford (a copy of which was on the table), as 

 being the first recognition of Zoology as a branch of university education 

 at Oxford. He also alluded to Mr. Scudder's memoir on North-American 

 PJiopalocera, as exhibiting a complete houleverseinent of generic nomenclature, 

 nearly every species being also formed into a separate genus, with generic 

 characters of sometimes four to six pages in length. 



Mr. W. A. Lewis placed before the meeting a copy of the following 

 circular addressed to entomologists, with list of signatures as appended 

 thereto : — 



