192 Thk Zoologist— April, 1866. 



colony, had been removed by Mr. Stone ; a few workers wbich remained bad re- 

 commenced building, but, deprived of ibe guidance and control of the queen, bad 

 produced in each ease a monstrosity, an irregular and shapeless piece of chnnsj work- 

 mansbip. There were young larxBB in sealed cells constructed by the workers, wliich 

 larvae were the produce of eggs laid by the workers. 



Mr. Tegeimeier had known workers of ilie hive-bees to lay fertile eggs, but these bad 

 always produced drones; two or three eggs were laid in one cell, but not more than 

 one ever hatched. 



Mr. F. Smith pointed out that the sealed cells in the wasps' nests exhibited were 

 tlie cells, not of drones, but of workers, of females, — which was an extension of the 

 ol)servaiion and theory of Von Sieboldt. 



Mr. M'Lacblan exhibited a twig of mulberry tree sent from Saugor, Central 

 India, by Captain Alexander, on which were deposited in rows numerous eggs, which 

 were probably those of a species of Ascalapbus or Myrmeleon ; the arrangement of 

 the eggs was precisely similar to that of the European Ascalapiius macaronius, as 

 described by Dr. Brauer; the young larva; that had emerged from the eggs were also 

 exhibited. With reference to Geoffroys observation, that Myrmeleon formicarius 

 immediately after emergence deposits one or two eggs, which, however, are unpro- 

 ductive, Mr. M'Lacblan said that his own observations had convinced him that these 

 so-called eggs were not eggs at all, but were in reality the meconium, which, instead 

 of being voided in a liquid state, was in this instance solid, and took the form of 

 egg-like lumps. 



The Rev. 0. Pickard-Cambridge (who was present as a visitor) exhibited a general 

 collection of insects made by himself in Palestine, Syria, Lesser Asia, Greece, &c. 

 All the specimens were admirably preserved and set, notwithstanding that the collec- 

 tion was made under the dilhculties of being almost always on horseback, and seldom 

 staying more than a day in one place ; moreover his principal object of pursuit bad 

 been spiders, of which he had captured a great number and of very peculiar 

 forms. 



Prof. West wood called attention to the "Schiiften der Konigl. phys.-okon. Gesell- 

 schafl zu Konigsberg" for 18H4, in which was described and figured a new Amphipod 

 — a marine animal — in gum copal or gum anime. 



Paper Read. 



Mr. Edward Saunders read a paper intituled " Catalogue of Buprestida; collected* 

 by the late M. Mouhot in Siam, &c. ; with Descriptions of new Species." Forty-four 

 species were enumerated, of which thirty-three were described as new; three new 

 genera were characterized — Cardiaspis, allied to Dicercomorpha of Henri Deyrolle ; 

 Engycera, allied to Melob'asis; and Oncomoea, between Brachys and Pachyscelus. 



New Pari o/' Transactions.' 

 Trans. Eut. Soc. third series, vol. ii. Part 6 (being the concluding part of that 

 volume) was announced as ready for distribution. — /. W. D. 



