﻿126 
  

  

  VespidtB 
  (Polistes 
  gallica) 
  and 
  Sphegidee 
  (Ammophila 
  sabnlosa), 
  which 
  are 
  found 
  abun- 
  

   dantly 
  on 
  Umbellifeiffi. 
  These 
  insects, 
  although 
  as 
  captives 
  they 
  at 
  first 
  miss 
  their 
  

   usual 
  employment 
  and 
  care 
  for 
  their 
  brood, 
  live 
  in 
  their 
  cage 
  for 
  several 
  weeks, 
  espe- 
  

   cially 
  if 
  they 
  are 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time 
  supplied 
  with 
  fresh 
  flowers 
  of 
  Umbelliferje 
  spread 
  

   over 
  with 
  pounded 
  sugar. 
  Being 
  accustomed 
  to 
  work, 
  they 
  are 
  thus 
  provided 
  with 
  

   employment; 
  they 
  busy 
  themselves 
  on 
  the 
  flowers, 
  and 
  lick 
  up 
  the 
  sugar, 
  and 
  their 
  

   life 
  is 
  prolonged 
  as 
  long 
  as 
  possible, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  pupae 
  of 
  the 
  Stylopidae 
  contained 
  in 
  

   their 
  bodies 
  obtain 
  time 
  to 
  develope, 
  and 
  (in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  males) 
  emerge 
  as 
  winged 
  

   insects. 
  The 
  Stylopized 
  Hymenoptera 
  are 
  known 
  in 
  the 
  following 
  manner: 
  — 
  The 
  

   larvge 
  of 
  Strepsiptera 
  living 
  as 
  Faitozoa 
  in 
  the 
  cavity 
  of 
  the 
  hinder 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  

   Hymenoptera, 
  eventually, 
  when 
  about 
  to 
  assume 
  the 
  pupa-state, 
  with 
  the 
  foie 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  body 
  pierce 
  through 
  the 
  soft 
  portion 
  between 
  the 
  hinder 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  

   their 
  foster-parent, 
  where 
  they 
  continue 
  to 
  remain, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  ever 
  wingless 
  and 
  foot- 
  

   less 
  females 
  end 
  their 
  lives 
  there 
  ; 
  the 
  males, 
  after 
  a 
  time, 
  thrust 
  the 
  prominent 
  fore- 
  

   part 
  of 
  their 
  pupa-case 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  hinder 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  body 
  of 
  their 
  foster-parents, 
  and 
  

   flutter 
  out 
  of 
  their 
  confinement. 
  The 
  Hymenoptera 
  which 
  are 
  burdened 
  with 
  male 
  

   pupae, 
  are 
  known 
  by 
  the 
  dark 
  brown 
  conical 
  fore 
  ends 
  of 
  the 
  pupa-cases 
  projecting 
  be- 
  

   tween 
  the 
  segments 
  of 
  the 
  bodies 
  of 
  the 
  bees 
  and 
  wasps 
  ; 
  the 
  female 
  Strepsiptera 
  are 
  

   distinguished 
  by 
  the 
  light 
  brown 
  scale-formed 
  projecting 
  fore 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  body, 
  which 
  

   remains 
  unchangeably 
  fixed, 
  whilst 
  the 
  conical 
  fore 
  part 
  (cephalothorax) 
  of 
  the 
  male 
  

   pupa 
  breaks 
  off 
  upon 
  the 
  exclusion 
  of 
  the 
  perfect 
  insect.'' 
  

  

  Herr 
  Schiodte, 
  of 
  Copeuhagen, 
  who 
  was 
  present 
  as 
  a 
  visitor, 
  made 
  a 
  few 
  remarks 
  

   in 
  favour 
  of 
  the 
  proposition 
  that 
  the 
  Strepsiptera 
  should 
  be 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  Coleo- 
  

   ptera 
  ; 
  observing 
  that 
  the 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  latter 
  Order 
  are 
  possessed 
  generally 
  by 
  the 
  

   Strepsiptera, 
  though 
  some 
  are 
  in 
  a 
  rudimentary 
  state 
  only, 
  laying 
  stress 
  upon 
  the 
  form 
  

   of 
  the 
  mouth 
  and 
  the 
  metamorphosis, 
  as 
  more 
  essential 
  characters 
  of 
  the 
  Coleoptera 
  

   than 
  the 
  large 
  prothorax 
  ; 
  and 
  arguing 
  that 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  matter 
  as 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  

   Strepsiptera, 
  the 
  most 
  essential 
  characters 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  Orders, 
  and 
  not 
  the 
  minute 
  detail, 
  

   should 
  be 
  considered 
  and 
  compared 
  ; 
  from 
  which 
  he 
  was 
  led 
  to 
  believe 
  that 
  the 
  Strep- 
  

   siptera, 
  though 
  apparently 
  in 
  some 
  respects 
  anomalous, 
  were 
  more 
  nearly 
  related 
  to 
  

   the 
  Coleoptera 
  than 
  to 
  any 
  other 
  Order 
  ; 
  and 
  that 
  the 
  opponents 
  of 
  this 
  view 
  should 
  

   show 
  that 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  characters 
  of 
  ihe 
  Coleoptera 
  are 
  not 
  represented 
  in 
  the 
  Strep- 
  

   siptera. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Waterhouse 
  briefly 
  opposed 
  the 
  junction 
  of 
  the 
  Strepsiptera 
  with 
  the 
  Coleo- 
  

   ptera, 
  confining 
  himself 
  chiefly 
  to 
  the 
  different 
  development 
  of 
  the 
  prothorax 
  in 
  each 
  

   Order, 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  which 
  he 
  considered 
  very 
  characteristic 
  of 
  diff'erent 
  groups. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Westwood 
  also 
  made 
  some 
  similar 
  observations 
  : 
  and 
  argued 
  that 
  the 
  Strepsi- 
  

   ptera 
  were 
  more 
  nearly 
  allied 
  to 
  the 
  coarctate 
  Diptera. 
  

  

  September 
  5, 
  1853. 
  

   J. 
  O. 
  Westwood, 
  Esq., 
  Vice-president, 
  in 
  the 
  chair. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  donations 
  were 
  announced, 
  and 
  thanks 
  ordered 
  to 
  be 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  

   donors: 
  — 
  The 
  'Zoologist' 
  for 
  September; 
  by 
  the 
  Editor. 
  The 
  'Literary 
  Gazette' 
  for 
  

  

  