82 



Middlesex, and some splendid Lepidoptera and Coleoptera from Ega on the Amazon, 

 collected by Mr. Bates, who, he mentioned, was now on his way home. He brought 

 for distribution specimens of Hylastes rhododactylus, recently taken in stumps of 

 broom at Coomb wood. 



Mr. Shepherd exhibited a hermaphrodite Smerinthus Populi, found at liberty. In 

 this instance the right side was male. 



Mr. Douglas exhibited a longicorn beetle, Coptomma variegatum, Fabr., a native 

 of New Zealand, caught flying at Bow Common, by Mr. Robertson, last September. 

 He also exhibited one of the Tipulida3, apparently a species of Trichocera, the pupa of 

 which he found sticking out of the very hard side of the sand-pit at Charlton, the in- 

 sect being in the act of emerging therefrom. It was difficult to think how so slender 

 a creature had the power to work through such hard material. 



Mr. Smith exhibited a specimen of Formica graminicola, Lair., taken by Mr. 

 Wing, December 9, 1850; and a specimen of Formica cunicularia, taken by Mr. S. 

 Stevens, April 18, 1851. Both insects were females, and were caught flying, the 

 interest attached to them arising from the season at which they were found, the usual 

 time of appearance of the former being the end of June, and of the latter, the autumn. 



The President observed that such observations as these might appear trivial, but 

 they were in reality of much importance, and in the aggregate would serve as clews to 

 the elucidation of many obscure points in the history of insects. For instance, in re- 

 spect to the economy of ants, we are in some species quite in the dark, certain things 

 observed of some having been attributed to all, quite erroneously, as the habits of spe- 

 cies differ greatly. 



Mr. Waring exhibited two singular crustaceous-looking spiders from Western 

 Africa. 



The President stated that some plants of a strawberry brought by him from Paris, 

 had been all but destroyed by Haltica a;rata, the young leaves and buds having been 

 eaten in the same manner as those of turnips are devoured by H. nemorum. 



The following note on Trichiosoma lucorum, by R. Maysmor, Esq., in a letter ad- 

 dressed to the President, was read. 



" I am still puzzled respecting these cocoons, for those I have found with the in- 

 sect inclosed, are opened when it escapes in a very different way to the greater num- 

 ber of this kind of cocoon. I have observed the escape of several, and I see they cut 

 a round piece very nearly out at one end, so that it merely hangs by a little hinge ; 

 the hole thus made is just large enough for the escape of the insects. In one instance 

 the fly had made a slight mistake, for after having cut the piece completely out, it 

 proved too small, and after several unsuccessful attempts to force itself out, it set to 

 and cut off a slip round the hole, which made it large enough. The flies cut the holes 

 with their mandibles as true as they could be done with a pen-knife, and when ready, 

 they force themselves out head first. I fancy the flies which cut these round holes are 

 all females. I have five cocoons opened in this way, and all the flies are females : the 

 cocoons which are opened in such an irregular manner, I think belong to the male 

 flies : the exuviae are considerably different in the two cocoons. At any rate, the te- 

 nants of the irregularly opened cocoons appear to make their exit at least a month 

 earlier than the others, for I found them opened by the middle of March, whereas I 

 have not yet seen any of the others opened on the hedges. My first flies did not come 

 out till the 12th of April, and they had been a month in a warm room. The day after 



