Entomological Sociely. 7335 



which he at first supposed to be Neuropterous larvae. They were found under slices 

 of turnip which had been placed as a trap for Myriapods. 



Mr. Lubbock also exhibited some specimens of Sphaerularia Bombi, a parasite of 

 the humble-bee, which was first discovered by M. Leon Dufour, and subsequently 

 observed by Siebold. Mr. Lubbock stated that he had himself found these parasites 

 in the females of every species of Borabus which he had examined. As the mature 

 form of this parasite only is known, be was very anxious to obtain some Bombi during 

 the winter, in order to determine, if possible, the process of development, and to 

 throw some light on the manner in which the young parasites effect an entrance into 

 their victims : he should therefore be much obliged to those entomologists who would 

 forward to him any hybernaling Bombi which might be found while searching for 

 insects during the winter months. 



Mr. Westwood exhibited a singularly pale variety of Alois repandata, taken by Mr. ' 

 Daubeny, of Magdalen College, Oxford, the markings forming a link between the 

 typical insect and the variety named " conversaria" by Hiibner, the subapical strigse 

 being very acutely undulated, and preceded by a large, nearly black patch. 



Mr. Westwood observed that his attention had recently been drawn to a specimen 

 of Eristalis similis, Meig., presented to the Hopeian collection in Mr. Well's cabinet of 

 British insects, in which the head is entirely enveloped in the thin, semilransparent 

 pellicle forming the true pupa-skin ; the upper part of the head being, moreover, sur- 

 mounted by the transverse lunate piece of the indurated head-covering of the larva, 

 through which the two horus of the so-called pupa had been protruded. This lunate 

 piece is represented by Eeaumi.r (Mem. iv. pi. 33, fig. 6, d, d) ; and as, in looking at 

 the head from the front, the open space between the upper part of the pellicle and the 

 lunate piece is seen to be traversed by two internal prolongations of the horns, ex- 

 tending to the pellicle itself, it seemed not improbable that these two horns are' the 

 antenna-cases. 



Mr. Westwood further directed attention to the statement made by Mr. Curtis, 

 that the death's-head moth, on emerging from the chrysalis, has its legs enveloped in' 

 thin pellicles, subsequently cast off; and suggested whether this pellicle was not ana- 

 logous to the thin skin cast by the May flies after their first flight, and which appears 

 equally to be identical with the thin pellicle covering the bodies of the pups of coarc- 

 taie Diptera, such as that of the Eristalis mentioned above. Monsters of this kind 

 are of great rarity, a Noctua described by MiiUer (' Naturforscher,' St. xiv. pi. 4, fi<rs. 

 1—3), and a butterfly, Nymphalis Populi, figured by Wesmiiel (Bull. Acad. Bruxelles', 

 t. iv. No. 8), being the only recorded instances. A Dysticus, however, in Mr. Bowrino-'s' 

 collection, and an Emperor moth in Mr. Stephens's cabinet in the British Museum, 

 also agree with the preceding, retaining, in the perfect state, the head-covering of the' 

 larva. 



Mr. Waterhouse exhibited two species of Donacia which he had compared with 

 the Leptura aquatica and L. sericea of the Linnean collection. The latter is the 

 Donacia sericea of modem authors; the L. aquatica ofLinnjeus differs in being a 

 rather shorter and stouter inseet. In D. sericea the thorax is broadest in front, and 

 considerably contracted behind the middle ; the anterior angles are as prominent as 

 the lateral hump or swelling which lies immediately behind them. In L. aquatica the 

 thorax is rather shorter, nearly quadrate, less contracted behind ; the anterior angles 

 are not so prominent as the lateral hump, and this hump is rather smaller ; the surface 

 of the thorax is more rugulose, and the dorsal impression is more distinct. In 



