( iii ) 



Mr. W. F. Kirby referred to Capt. Boyes' paper in the Journ. As. Soc. 

 Beng., sei'. 2, vol. i. (1848), reprinted in Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. xvii., 

 pp. 88 — 91, giving an account of some Indian Paussi ; Mr. Kirby suggested 

 that the ants might find some protection from their enemies in having the 

 Paussus with his available artillery in their nest. 



New Part of 'Transactions.' 

 Parts IV. & V. of the ' Transactions' for 188^ was on the table. 



March 7, 1883. 

 J. W. Dunning, Esq., M.A., F.L.S., &c, President, in the chair. 



Donations to the Library were announced, and thanks voted to the 

 respective donors. 



Election of Members. 



Francis Ford Freeman, Esq. (8, Leigham Terrace, Plymouth), Frederick 

 Charles Lemann, Esq. (Blackfriars House, Plymouth), and Frederick W. 

 Smith, Esq (Hollywood House, Blackheath Poiut, Blackheath, Kent), were 

 balloted for and elected Members of the Society. 



Exhibitions, dtc. 



Mr. R. M'Lachlan exhibited a specimen of Polistes hebrams, Fabr., 

 which was captured in one of the London Docks on Saturday last ; the 

 specimen was in a dormant state, but revived from the heat of the meeting- 

 room. These wasps had been commonly seen on a ship returning from 

 Calcutta, which contained a quantity of bamboos as dunnage ; Mr. M'Lachlan 

 thought these probably contained nests of the Polistes. 



Mr.T. R. Billups exhibited specimens of Phmogenes ho mochlor us, Wesrn., 

 and Hemiteles incisus, Brdg., captured at Chobham last summer. 



Mr. Billups also exhibited a further specimen of the Orthoptelon 

 exhibited at last meeting, and which he had identified as Copiophora 

 cornuta, DeC, a Central American species. 



Dr. D. Sharp exhibited a preparation showing the pro- and meso-thoracic 

 membrane of a large Elater {Chalcolepidius porcatus, Linn.), in which the 

 prothoracic breathing orifices were of a hitherto unobserved structure. 

 The two stigmata were closed by hinged, horny trap-doors, very similar in 

 action to the lid of a trap-door spider's nest. Dr. Sharp observed that this 

 membrane was of especial interest, not only for its novelty, but for its 

 functional or teleological importance which is, he believed, to guard against 

 attacks from minute parasitic Acaridea ; when the Elater was stretched on 

 its back (in the position preliminary to springing) the stigmatic orifices 



