9824 Insects. 



Dr. Alexander Wallace said that, as above mentioned, lie had lost a number of his 

 Ailantbus silk-worms by disease ; il was during a period of three weeks in the wet 

 month of August, when many of the larvae were observed to delay their last change of 

 skin, to become pale, then livid and sanious, and to fall to the ground ; this was coin- 

 cident with the prevalence of the potato disease. He had planted potatoes between 

 the rows of Ailanthus trees and in some other interspaces, and when the disease first 

 showed itself, the potato-stems were pulled up and laid in heaps: the caterpillars in 

 the vicinity of the decomposing heaps died in greater numbers than those which fed at 

 a greater distance ; when fine weather returned the mortality among the worms ceased 

 entirely. With respect to wasps, there had scarcely been a specimen visible at Col- 

 chester; plums and other fruit were rotting on the ground, and were consumed by 

 earwigs, bees, &c., but not a single wasp. 



The President remarked that swarms of black flies (an Aphis) were commonly 

 regarded in France and Spain as precursors of cholera. 



Prof. Westwood observed that, if wasps had been absent, all the common species of 

 domestic flies had been unusually abundant, and so far from exhibiting any depressed 

 vitality, had beeu excessively active and troublesome. 



Papers read, 



Mr. F. Walker communicated a paper entitled " Characters of a new Genus and 

 Species of Cbalcidites ;" the insect in question was from Northern Australia, and bore 

 a striking resemblance to some of the ant-lribe ; il was described under the name of 

 Myrmccopsis nigricans. 



Mr. M'Lachlan read descriptions of some new British Trichoptera, supplementary 

 to, and intended to be incorporated with, his Monograph of the British Caddis-flies. 



Mr. M'Lachlan also read a paper entitled " Descriptions of new or little-known 



Genera and Species of Exotic Trichoptera ; with Observations on certain Species 



described by Mr. F.Walker." The greater part of the species described were collected 



by Mr. A. R. Wallace in the Malayan Archipelago; others were from India, Australia 



and New Zealand. The new species were seventeen in number, the new genera 



nine. 



New Part of'' Transactions' 



Trans. Ent. Soc., Third Series, Vol. ii. Part .'), being the fourth Part published 

 during 1865, was on the table. — J. W. D. 



Deilephila lineata near Biggleswade. — A fine specimen of Deilephila lineata (or 

 D, Livornica) was caught here on the lOlh of September, hovering over geranium 

 and other garden plants. — J. fV. Whitaker ; Henlow, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, 

 October 17, 1865. 



Note on Wasps. — Early in the spring I was much surprised by the number of 

 female wasps that were flying about. On a south wall, among some trained pear, 

 nectarine and apricot trees, I saw as tnany as seven nt one lime. From the number 

 of females seen, we naturally supposed that the number of wasps in 1865 would be as 

 great as in 1864, when they swarmed ; but, contrary to expectation, I have never seen 

 them so scarce in this iieighl)Ourhood. Last year, in our village alone, they destroyed 

 and rendered marketless bushels of plums and apples. — John Hanson; York. 



