106 



had seen in tlie colony, althougli he had paid much attention to 

 fish during his long residence here. 



A letter was received from Mr. H. Marshall, of Angaston, 

 asking if there was a puhlic analyst competent to analyse 

 rocks, ores, &c. He mentioned that he had fifty specimens 

 from the district, which he deemed of value. The President 

 said the question of the appointment of a G-overnment Analyst 

 was under the consideration of the Governors of the South 

 Australian Institute and the Council of the University, and an 

 expression of opinion from the Society might have some 

 weight. 



On the motion of Mr. Adamsox, seconded hj Mr. C. A. 

 AViLSOX, it was resolved — "That the Society considers it desir- 

 able that a Government Analyst should be appointed." 



Mr. C. A. Wilson read a paper upon " A New Species of the 

 family Proclotupidae": — "I exhibit a specimen new to me of 

 the family Proclotupidcje, a minute kind of ichneumon fly, but I 

 cannot name the genus to which it belongs. During last month 

 I went up Sismey's Gully, and found as in olden days many of 

 their egg-shaped cocoons under the hanging bark of the 

 eucalypti, where the caterpillars had fallen, and there changed 

 to chrysalides. They are very common at this time of the year, 

 and are the manufacture of a caterpillar, producing a small 

 brown moth. On opening the box a few days ago 1 found a 

 single hole in two of these cocoons or nests, from which had 

 evidently issued all these minute flies, the parent insects having 

 inserted all their eggs in the body of the victims before they 

 assumed the chrysalis form. I should add that my little speci- 

 mens have elbowed antenna^, or what are at half their length 

 hung at right-angles downwards, and keep in constant motion, 

 as if feeling their way. I have seen some of these minute 

 creatures of this family before, but never, I believe, this 

 species." 



The Secretary read a continuation of the list of ])lants indi- 

 genous to the vicinit}" of the Peake, MacDonnell Ranges, by 

 the Eev. H. Kempe. 



The Secretary read a paper contributed by Air. J. G. O. 

 Tepper, F.L.S., entitled "Observations on the Habits of Ants." 



In the discussion that ensued, there was one point in the 

 paper that called for remark, and that was a statement that 

 where ants congregated slugs disappeared. A Fellow said he 

 found that not to be the case, as he knew of at lenst two 

 gardens where ants and slugs were alike numerous. The small 

 ants made large colonies at Port A'iucent, for instance, aiul 

 that point differed from the statement of the writer of the 

 paper. It was also mentioned that, contrary to a remark made 

 in the paper, all ants were not afraid of water, as some had 



