9422 Entomological Society. 



The President exhibited some globular spiders' nests from South Australia, whence 

 they had been sent to him by Mr. Odewahn, of Gawler. The nests were found on 

 branches of trees ; the spiders were hangiuf; near them, and were descrilied as looking 

 like the excrement of a bird, or as resembling the Lonijicorn beetle Onychocerus 

 Scorpio, whilst the nests bore a remarkable resemblance to the fruit of Leplospernium, 

 one of the Myrtacea;, the native lea-tree of Australia. 



Mr. S. Stevens exhibited several pairs of Cheirolasia Burkei, one of the rare Go- 

 liath beetles, recently received from Africa ; and read a letter addressed to him by M. 

 Du Chailhi, dated Fernand-Vaz River, 20th August, 1864, in which the writer an- 

 nounced the despatch to London of a large collection of insects, a live gorilla, and a 

 number of gorilla-skins and skeletons ; he intended to start in a few days for the inte- 

 rior, and would probably remain two years. Mr. Stevens mentioned that the gorilla 

 had died on its passage to this country, but the collection of insects had arrived, and 

 some of the Coleoptera were exhibited, including four or five species of Goliath beetles, 

 G. Savagei, G. Sayii, G. tovquatus, G. micans, &c. 



Mr. F. Smith exhibited a parti-colonred wasps' nest belonging to Mr. Stone, of 

 Brigbthampton. Mr. Stone had a nest of Vespa Germanica in a window on the 

 ground-floor, and in a corresponding position in the first-floor window, immediately 

 over the other, was a nest of Vespa vulgaris ; his attention was called to the nest on 

 the ground-floor by the difi"erent colours of diff'erent parts thereof, some of which were 

 found to be constructed of decayed wood, such as would be used by the common wasp, 

 but not by Vespa Germanica. Examination showed that the lower nest owed its con- 

 struction to the united labours of both species of wasps, the different material em- 

 ployed by each determining the colour of the portion built by that species. Further 

 observation proved that specimens of the common wasp, wlien returning homewards 

 with a low fliglil, entered the nest of V. Germanica, apparently by mistake, and de- 

 ceived by the similarity of situation of the two nests. 



Mr. F. Smith also exhibited the large larva and pupa of Ripiphorus, found in 

 queen-cells of the common wasp, referred to at the previous meeting (Zool. 9378), and 

 read the following communication from Mr. Stone: — 



" It is certainly not the fact that female Ripiphori are found exclusively in female 

 cells of wasps, and males in those of workers ; for I have bred scores upon scores of 

 both males and females from the cells of workers ; nor can I perceive any very great 

 difference in the size of the sexes, although the females are unquestionably somewhat 

 larger, and much more plump in a|)pearance, than the males; still there is nothing 

 approaching the vast disproportion in size which exists between full-grown larvae 

 found occupying the cells of queens and those found in the cells of woikcrs. The 

 former must produce specimens of gigantic size. Then there must either be two dis- 

 tinct species, or there must be a permanently large and small variety, the former inva- 

 riably depositing its eggs in the cells of queens, the latter in those of workers ; or, if 

 there is only one species, and no permanent variety of the insect, it must be that the 

 difference in size arises solely from the fact that some larva; have been placed, or by a 

 piece of good luck have placed themselves, in a situation in which they have met with 

 an abundant supply of food, thus enabling them to attain the full and projiersize, and 

 so yxoAnce Ripiphorus as il ouy III lo be ; while the others must be looked upon as 

 diminutive examples of the insect, dwarfed and stunted by the limited and insufficient 

 supply of food allotted to the larva; from which they were produced. May 1 direct 



