234 Linruean Society. 



under side of several feathers of birds ; likewise a very minute paper 

 nest of Vespa Britannlca. 



Mr. Westwood exhibited drawings and specimens illustrating the 

 transformations of the common flea, 



Mr. E. Doubleday read extracts from a letter addressed to him by 

 M. Gudnee, stating that he had become associated with M. Boisduval 

 in the ' Histoire naturelle des Insectes Ldpidopteres,' and that the 

 nocturnal Lepidoptera would be described by him. 



Descriptions of two new species of Papilio were read by J. O. 

 Westwood. 



Mr. Thwaites gave an account of the observations which he had 

 recently made on the habits of Tinea granella, in granaries at Bristol. 

 The moth appears in August, at which time it is advisable to attempt 

 its destruction by fumes of sulphur. The insects remain in the larva 

 state through the winter, being full-fed in October, when they seek 

 out winter-quarters in the woodwork of the granaries, such as the 

 beams, floors and supports, committing much damage by boring 

 into them to the depth of half an inch, or sometimes an inch. If 

 the wood be hard they do not excavate so deeply, but cover the sur- 

 face with a thick layer of excrement ; and it had been observed that 

 they do not fear attacking kyanized wood ; it was consequently sug- 

 gested that it would be serviceable to coat the wood with plates of 

 lead or other metal. Mr. Spence noticed how singularly this insect 

 seemed to set at nought the supposed objections to insect life, attack- 

 ing the knots of the wood, which were of course most strongly satu- 

 rated with turpentine. On examining the debris left by these insects 

 with a microscope, it was found to consist only of minute particles 

 of gnawed wood, which did not appear to have undergone the action 

 of the stomach ; and it had been observed, that when there was a 

 sufficient mass of debris for their defence they do not bore into the 

 wood. Mr. Spence also alluded to the change of instinct which 

 these circumstances evidently proved the insects to have undergone 

 from their natural state. 



LINN^AN SOCIETY. 



April 20, 1847.— E. Forster, Esq., V.P., in the Chair. 

 Read a paper " On a new genus of Plants of the family Burman- 

 niacea." By John Miers, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. &c. &c. 



Ophiomeris. 



Perianthium superum, tubulosum, gibbo?um, caducum ; fance laterali 

 amuilo seniiclausa; liinbo 6-partito, laciniis 3 exterioribus brcvibus 

 ovatis, 3 iiiterioribus longissimis subulatis. Slamiiia 6, libera, infra 

 perianthii faucem inscrta et ejus laciniis opposita, inckisa, versus tubum 

 retroflexa ; filamentis petaloideis, margine appendiculatis; antheris ad- 

 natis in sinu filamentoruni tenninalibiis, 2-locularibus, loculis longitu- 

 dinalitcr dehiscentibus. Ovarium inferuni, 1-loculare ; placeiitis 3 pa- 

 rietalibus, medio ovuligeris ; ovulis indefinitis, anatropis. Stylus brevis. 

 Stigmata 3. Fructtis turbinatus, tnincatus, apice operculatim dchisccns, 

 l-locularis. Sejnina plurima, scobiformia. Embryo ignotus. — Plantae 

 Urasilienses, hyal'mce, super lignum cariosum parasitica ; rliizoinate 



