222 Zoological Society. 



globosiis postice constrictiis. Elytra perbrevia valde convexa, 

 humeris prominulis. Pedes pernio grandes femoribus in medio 

 crassescentibus, tibiis lutis compressis ; tarsis brevibus latls. 



Dollops curculionoides, W.* Obscure viridi-ceneus, indistincte ca- 

 rulescens, capite lined albd longitudinali ; elytris 14 guttis flaves- 

 centi-albis adspersis corporeqiie subtiis eodem colore maculato. 

 Long. Corp. lin. 5|. 

 The resemblance which this insect bears in size, form and colour- 

 ing to a species of Pacliyrhynchus (one of the Curculionidce) , which 

 Mr. Cuming found in the same locality, is remarkable. From the short 

 ovate form of the body it seems at first sight allied to Dorcadion, but 

 in the form of the head, slender antennes and feet, it appears to ap- 

 proach certain Saperdce, and especially to Colobothea. 



Mr. Cuming, who was present, stated that the ladies in Manilla 

 keep specimens of the splendid Agestrata luzonica in cages, feeding 

 them upon sugar-cane. 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 

 Jan. 26, 1841.— W. Yarrell, Esq., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Prof. Owen read his description of a new genus and species of 

 sponge, which he proposes to name Euplectella Aspergillum. 



"Mr. Cuming has entrusted to me for description," says the author, 

 " one of the most singular and beautiful, as well as the rarest of the ma- 

 rine productions with which his researches in the Philippine Islands 

 have enabled him to enrich the zoological collections of his native coun- 

 try. This production is, however, a member of the very lowest class of 

 the animal kingdom, if even it be permitted to rank in that division 

 of organized nature. After repeated examination and much reflec- 

 tion, I can arrive at no other conclusion than that the object about 

 to be described is the skeleton or framework of a species of sponge 

 belonging to that division of the class called Horny, in opposition to 

 the calcareous and siliceous groups, and to the Alcyonoid family. It is 

 a hollow, cylindrical, slightly conical, and gently curved case or tube, 

 resembling a delicate cornucopia, with the apex removed. It 

 measures eight inches in length, two inches across the base, and one 

 inch and a quarter across the apex, which is truncated. The base 

 or wider aperture of the tube is sub-elliptical, and is closed by a cap 

 of coarse and somewhat irregular network, gently convex externally, 

 the circumference of which is divided from the walls of the cylinder 

 by a thin projecting plate, standing out like a ruft' or frill. This 

 marginal plate varies in breadth from one to three lines. The pa- 

 rietes of the circular cone consist also of a network of coarse fibres, 

 but these exhibit the greatest regularity of disposition, and intersect 

 each other at definite and nearly equal distances throughout the 

 course of the cone. They consist of longitudinal, transverse, and 

 oblique fibres, the latter being of two kinds, winding spirally round 



* A figure of this remarkable insect lias been published by Mr. Westwood 

 in the ' Arcana Enlomologica,' pi. 15, fig. 1. 



