1566 Thk Zoologist— Febkuary, 1869. 



(.5) a new species of Coleoplcra from ihe Niger, referable lo the genus Aprostoma of 

 Giieiin, wiib which it was sugfrested that both Mecedanuin of Erichson and Gempy- 

 lodes of Pascoe might probably be united ; (4) a beautiful species of Lamiidae, from the 

 Zambesi ; (6) a second species of the genus Ectrephes of Pascoe (Proc. Ent. Soc. 1866, 

 p. xvi) ; and (6) a new genus in Count Mniszech's collection, allied to Ehyssodes,and 

 intended lo be described as Rhyssodiua. 



Mr. A. E. Eaton communicated the following note : — 



" Dr. A. S. Packard, jun., has very kindly sent me a separate of a paper by him. 

 On the Structure of the Ovijjosiior aiid Homologous parts in the Male lusect, from the 

 Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist. vol. xi. (Feb. 26, 1868), in which he has corrected his 

 earlier observations. The result of his later investigations is lo confirm M. Lacaze- 

 Dulhier's statement that ' les tarieres des Nevroplercs sonl semblables aux tarieres des 

 Hymeuopteres," which his earlier couclusions had (as I showed in Trans. Enl. Soc. 

 1868, 1). 14:3) coiitradicled ; and the p.iper also shows in what way the French author 

 came to be mistaken iu supposing that ihe sling grew out from the ninth segment 

 alone." 



Mr. Frederick Smith read the following: — 



On the Affinities of the Genus Sihyllina, of Westtvood. 



" .\t ihe Meeting of this Society on the 16th of November, Professor Westwood 

 described, under the name Sihyllina scnigmatica, an insect that has for some years 

 been standing niimeless in various colleclions. I had, myself, after a somewhat cursory 

 examination, referred it to the ants, aud had placed it iu the family Poneridae. A few 

 years ago I had an opporiunity of submitting this insect lo Dr. Nylander, who thought 

 1 was right iu so doing, but I must admit he liad only time to n'ne it a very slight 

 examination. Prof. Westwood ( I'r. Ent. Soc. 1868, p. 329, Proc. p. xli.) has referred 

 it to the Vespida-, ils position being indicated as near the geuus Beionogaster, of 

 Saussure. 



" At the lime when the paper was read, I expressed an opinion that it could not 

 belong lo the Vespida; : 1 have therefore felt bound to examine the insect with a greater 

 degree of attention, and have carefully and minutely investigated its structural pecu- 

 liarities : the result has been, thai I have changed my opinion as to the family to which 

 il belongs, alihoufth I shall still be found lo differ widely in that respect from Prof. 

 Westwood, and also from Mr. Haliday, who once examined the insect,and determined 

 that itT)elonged to the Sphegid*, being in his opinion closely allied to the genus 

 PelopoBUS. 



" Having expressed an opinion that it does not belong to the Vespidas, it is incum- 

 bent upon me to give my reasons. In the first place, all true wasps, the social 

 as well as the solitary species, have the anteiior wings folded longitudinally, except 

 when they are used in flight; in the genus Sihyllina they are not folded. In the next 

 place, every true wasp has four submarginal cells, the fourth being very frequently 

 incomplete, but in some species of the genera Beionogaster, Polistes, and also of the 

 genus Vespa, among the social wasps, and in the solitary group, in the genera Zuthus, 

 Rhyuchium, Abispa and Synagris, the fourth cell is complete ; but I know no species 

 of wasp that has not three complete submarginal cells ; the genus Sihyllina has only 

 two. Then, every true wasp has three discoidal cells in the anterior wings ; Sihyllina 



