154. 



Australia {Camponotus inflatus), commonly called tlie honey- 

 ant. 



Specimens o£ tlie destructive potato-motli {Lita Solanelld) 

 were exhibited in illustration of Mr. Tepper's paper. 



Mr. A. MoLiXEUX mentioned some supposed discoveries 

 which he had recently made with respect to the reproductive 

 organs of the shark and ray tribes, and it was suggested that 

 the question might be easily proved by a microscopic examina- 

 tion of the fluids in connection with a passage, &c., mentioned 

 by him. 



The following paper was read — " On the Potato-Moth," by 

 Mr. J. Gr. O. Tepper (see p. 57). A short discussion followed, 

 in which it was stated that Mr. Merrick had given an opinion 

 that the micro-lepidoptera of Australia comprised at least 

 10,000 species. 



Ordinary Meeti:n^g, April 5, 1881. 

 Mr. Thomas D. Smeaton in the chair. 

 The list of donations to the Library was read. 



NOTES AND EXHIBITS. 



Professor Tate said, in reference to the potato moth, that it 

 had already been the subject of a paper by Mr. Meyrick in the 

 Proc. Linnean Society of N.S.W. for 1879. He read an extract 

 from that paper, and said that he had forwarded specimens to 

 that gentleman, who replied " that the specimens in question 

 are certainly to be referred to Lita Solanella, Boisduval." The 

 insect had been introduced to the colonies, and was probably a 

 native of Algeria, but it throve in all dry climates, and would, 

 without doubt, give a good deal of trouble. It was not found 

 in America, and therefore must first have fed on some other 

 solanaceous plant than the potato. Mr. Tepper had also 

 written again, saying that the insect had been found in potatoes 

 at Yorke Yalley. 



Professor Tate read, by Avay of supplementing, some re- 

 marks made at the last meeting by Mr. Molineux, an extract 

 from a paper by Baron Maclay, published in Proc. Linn. Soc. 

 N.S.W., vol. iii., p. 327, 1879, alluding to the external genital 

 organs of the male Port Jackson shark, and wherein reference 

 is also made to Dumeril's work upon the same subject. 



The Natural Science Director exhibited a fossil skull of 

 a wombat, a new South Australian bat, and three species of 

 South Australian snakes (see " Miscellaneous Contributions," 

 pp. 149, 138, 189). 



The following papers were read : — 



1. " A Census of the Cryptogamic Flora of South Australia," 

 onmpiled by Prof. R. Tate (see p. 5). 



