9624 Entomological Society. 



existence, than to count up the species which haunt, either habitually or occasionally, 

 one of these willow galls, and live either upon the substance of the gall itself or upon 

 the bodies of other insects that Vive upon the subst.ince of the gall. In the single 

 gall, Salicis brassicoides, it. .«/;., there dwells the Cecidoinyia, which is the maker of ihe 

 gall — four iiiquilinous Ceciiloinyia; — an intjuilinous saw-fly — five distinct species of 

 Micro-Lepidoptera, some feeding on the external leaves of the gall, and some burrow- 

 ing into the heart of the cabbage, but scarcely ever penelrating into the central cell so 

 as to destroy the larva that provides ihem with food and lodging — two or three 

 Coleoptera — a Psocus (Pseudo-Neuroptera) — a Heteropterous insect found abundantly 

 in several other willnw-galls — an Aphis, which is also found on the leaves of the willow, 

 but particularly affects this gall — and, preying on the Aphides, the larva of a Chrysopa 

 (Neuropiera) and the larva of a Syrphide (Diptera)— besides four or five species of 

 ClialcididsB, one Brac.inide Ichneumon, and one Tachinide, which prey upon the 

 CecidomyiBB and the Micro-Lepidoptera ; making altogether about two dozen distinct 

 species, and representing every one of the eight orders, if with Sieboldt, Erichson, and 

 Hagen, we refer Pseuilo-Nenroplera to Orihuplera." 



Referring to the alleged discovery of Wagner that the larvae of Cecidomyia breed 

 young ones, — that a second generation of larva; is developed within the bodies of the 

 first, — the author expresses his firm belief that the young larvae which crept out of the 

 bodies of Cecidomyia larva were nothing but larvoe of Chalcidida; or Proctotrupidae, 

 several species of which he knew from experience to breed inside the bodies of larvae 

 of willow Cecidomyiae. As to Wagner's statement that the same newly-born larva 

 went through the same process a second time, he believes to be a pure and simple 

 delusion. 



Mr. F. Smith was now in possession of numerous rose-galls, from which had 

 hatched several specimens of Nematus ; these, however, were not the makers of the 

 gall, but were either " inquilines'' or they might have been in or on some other part of 

 the wood ; the real inhabitants of the galls were now in the pupa state. 



Papers read. 



Mr. Bates read a paper "On New Species of Agra from the collection of Mr. W. 

 W. Saunders," and desrribed four new species : A valentina, from Venezuela ; 

 A. dominula and A. Saundersii, fr<im Peru ; and A. occipitalis, from Brazil. 



Mr. F. Smith read "Descriptions of some Species of Hymenopterous Insects 

 belonging to the Families Thynnidie, Masaridae, and Apidae." Most of the insects 

 were brought fr<im Western Australia by Mr. F. Du Boulay. Tlie new Thynnidae 

 comprised Tliynnus ventralis, iEIurus agilis, Rha'.'igaster simillimus and E. flavi- 

 frons. Of Masarida; there were three new species of Paragia, P. calida, P. venusta, 

 and P. vespiformis. But the most remarkable insect was a leaf-cutting bee with 

 antennae like a buttei fly, for which a new genus was proposed, and it was described 

 as Tliaumatosoma Duboulaii. 



The Rev. Hamlet Clark read " Descripti<ms of "new Phytophaga from Western 

 Australia." Five species of Paropsis, two of Australica, a Chalcomela, a Chalcolampra, 

 and two species of Geloplera were described ; most of them from Champion Bay, 

 and captured by Mr. F. Du Botilay. — /. W. D. 



