148 Entomological Society. 



Indian Cantharida possessed very powerful medicinal properties and 

 were extremely abundant, it would be advisable that they should 

 be collected in quantities and imported into England, so as to su- 

 persede the use of the common blister-fly. 



September 7th. — Thomas Marshall, Esq., in the Chair. 



In addition to the donations of entomological works, a collection 

 of insects from New South Wales was presented to the Society by 

 J. S. Bowerbank, Esq. 



Mr. Smith exhibited specimens of Miscus campestris and Am- 

 mophila vulgaris, which had been taken in copnld, and whence he 

 was led to consider the former only as a variety of the latter species. 

 He also exhibited a new British species of Nomada, and various rare 

 British Andrence. 



Mr. Walton exhibited three new British species of the Curculio- 

 nideoiis genus Magdalis. 



October 5th. — J. Walton, Esq., V.P. in the Chair. 



Mr. Sells exhibited a number of illustrations of the natural history 

 of various species of insects, including nests of the Osmia coerulescens, 

 numerous kinds of galls formed by Cecidomyiic, &c., with their pa- 

 rasites ; Ch/orops pumilionis, in various states, the larvae of which had 

 proved very destructive this year near Kingston, and had entirely 

 destroyed several acres of rye. 



Mr. Westwcod exhibited a remarkable gall brought from Manilla 

 by Mr. Cuming, the outer covering of which consisted of exceedingly 

 fine filaments, which crumbled to powder on being touched, and the 

 inhabitant of which was a species of Cynips; also a cocoon made 

 by a large Saturnia, the chrysalis of which was still inclosed and 

 filled with eggs, although the antennae-cases were so broad as to 

 lead to the supposition that the specimen was a male. 



Mr. Ingpen exhibited the cocoon of Cetonia uurata, the larva of 

 which he had then recently found at the root of a tree, containing a 

 living imago ; likewise another mass of the cocoons of the Hemiteles 

 sp. ? found attached to a lilac branch. 



Mr. Smith exhibited various species of British ants of the differ- 

 ent sexes, showing the two distinct kinds of neuters of Formica san- 

 guinea, in the nest of which he had also found Formica fusca, F. cu- 

 nicularia, and Myrmica rubra : also a piece of the stump of an oak 

 tree burrowed into in all directions and inhabited by Formica rufa. 

 Mr. Stephens mentioned a remarkable instance of the occurrence 

 of the autumnal disease of flies, having observed that a great number 

 of the blades of a tall grass {Sesleria ccerulea) growing at the sides 

 of the path leading through Ongar Pai'k Wood in Essex, for about 

 fifty yards were covered with hundreds of dead specimens of Chei- 

 losia gracilis, many of which he exhibited still attached to the stems 

 of the grass : he also observed one of the flies fly languidly down, 

 settle on the grass, and die. 



Mr. Westwood exhibited drawings of the veins of the wings of 

 various genera of British butterflies, commenting upon the modifica- 



