Entomological Society. 9621 



Mr. F. Smilh read the following letter from Mr. T. C. Jerdon, dated "Lahore, 

 March 16, 1865:"— 



" I have at last got hold again, after a long absence, of the specimens of workers 

 of Dorylus, and they are, as you sujjgesled, evidently, I think, Typhlupone. It is, 

 however, strange to say, quite a Terines in its habits, working under ground entirely, 

 and never coming ouisiile except when the males are coming forth winged, when tliey 

 accompany them in swarms lo the holes by which they make their exit. 1 first 

 observed the workers at Mhow, in Central India, where ihey had undermined a house 

 so completely that the foundation had to be dug up, and I there saw the winged males 

 {Dotylus) issuing out of the same holes as the workers. I afterwards saw them twice 

 again ; the last time in a green-house of the Botanical Garden at Saharunpure, N. W. 

 Prov. They were issuing every morning and evening in great numbers from a hole 

 in the flooring (lime), and several winged individuals were with them, and these 

 entered houses at night: this was in February. I have met with Dorylus in every station 

 where I have been, and it is certainly curious that the workers are so litlle known, as 

 they must have been observed occasionally by hundreds of Europeans. I have a lot 

 in spirit, and enclose you three or four in this letter, enough, I dare say, to show if it 

 is the same species mentioned in yuur ' Catalogue,' T. Curtisii, or not. Dr. Jameson 

 laughed me to scorn when I talked of digging up the flooring of his pet green-house, 

 but if 1 ever get an opportunity of another nest in a get-at-able situation I will try 

 and gel at the mystery of the female. Surely, however, some of the winged individuals 

 must be females; if not, then the only other conclusion is that the female always 

 remains apterous, and is impregnated in the nest ; or, if winged, that she is kept a 

 forcible prisoner till her wings drop off. I would have written long ago, but was 

 separated from the bottle conlainiug the workers." 



Mr. F. Smilh thought there was now little doubt that Typhlopone was ihe worker 

 of Dor.ylus, as had been suggested years ago by Shuckard. The female, however, was 

 still unknown. 



Prof. Westwood enquired whether Mr. Smith was acquainted with the insect which 

 Gersiacker represented to be the female of Doiylus; it was very different from 

 Typhlopone. Mr. Smith replied that he had never seen the large female in question, 

 but he believed its connexion with Dorylus to be purely conjectural. 



" The Rev. Hamlet Clark exhibited an interesting collection of Phytophaga received 

 by him from Mr. Du Boulay, who captured them in the district of Champion Bay, 

 West Australia. Among the many uoveliies was a very abnormal form of Eumolpids, 

 unique in structure not only among Eumolpidae but throughout the Coleopiera : the 

 male leaps vigorously and quickly when captured, and it is ihe only species of Eumol- 

 pidce that is known to be sallatorial; but the peculiarity of the insect is, that it is not 

 the posterior but the medial feinora which give this power of leaping: the posterior 

 femora are of ordinary form, or perhaps somewhat attenuate ; the medial, however, are 

 very robust, incrassated, suSicienlly elongate and with strong and curved tibiae. 

 Mr. Clark remarked that it might be a question whether the insect properly belonged 

 to the Eumolpidffi or to some other group: he stated that it had been carefully 

 examined not only by himself but by Mr. Baly, and that there seemed to be no doubt 

 on the subject. He proposed to create a new genus for the reception of this insect, 

 and to describe it under the name of Thaumastomerus viridis. 



The Rev. H. Clark read from ' The Reader' of the 1st of April, 1865, the following 



