4.96 Entomological Society. 
the mandibles, which are pierced for the purpose of emission of the 
poisonous fluid, which he had not however detected in Lithobius. . 
*“ A memoir on the Sectional Characters in the genus Lucanus.” 
By J. O. Westwood, F.L.S. 
After alluding to the prevalence of certain characters apparently 
of immaterial importance in the economy of insects, such as the num- 
ber of joints in the antennz, the number and position of the veins in 
the wings, &c., which nevertheless from their constancy afford excel- 
lent artificial points of distinction, the author alludes to the difficulties 
he had experienced in adopting sectional characters in the genus 
Lucanus of modern authors, now consisting of nearly 150 species ; 
and to the employment of the number of spines on the outer edge of 
the middle and posterior tibiz in the different sexes, which in many 
species he had observed to differ in this respect : whence the species 
form three primary groups :— | 
1. Those with two or three spines on the outside of the four hind 
tibie. 
2. Those with only one spine in the middle of the four posterior 
tibiz in both sexes. 
3. Those in which the four posterior tibie are either destitute of 
spines, or have them furnished in the middle with one minute spine 
in the females alone. 
The commencement of a memoir on the Life and Writings of Fa- 
bricius, translated (with additions) from the Danish. By the Rev. 
F. W. Hope. 
Mr. A. White stated that an extended memoir on Fabricius has © 
been published by the Baron Walckenaer in the ‘ Biographie Uni- 
verselle.’ 
It was announced that the Address delivered by Mr. G. Newport 
at the adjourned Anniversary Meeting had been printed, and was 
ready for delivery to the Members, 
Mr. E. Doubleday, in allusion to the noise made by the genus 
Termes, as stated in Captain Boyes’s letter, mentioned that he had 
recently examined Peridromia Feronia, the butterfly described by 
Mr. C. Darwin, in his ‘ Tour,’ as making a noise during flight like the 
rustling of parchment, and that he had detected a small membranous 
sac at the base of the fore-wings, with a structure along the sub- 
costal nervure like an Archimedean screw or diaphragm in the tra- 
cheee, especially at the dilated base of the wing. 
April 7th.—The Rev. F. W. Hope, F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 
Mr. Louis Fraser exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Balfour, a large case 
of Brazilian insects. 
Mr. Westwood exhibited specimens of the singular chrysalis of 
the genus Simulium, which is found attached to the underside of the 
leaves of the watercress. Also a box containing a considerable num- 
ber of specimens (belonging to more than twenty species) of Paus- 
side, several of which (being new) had been forwarded to him by 
Captain Boyes. He also exhibited and opened at the meeting one of 
the large balls of earth formed by the Indian Copris Molossus, also 
