2916 Tue Zoo.ocisr—J aNvARY, 1872. 
suggested whether this latter case might not have been an exemplification of 
the natural pugnacity of the sparrow, rather than an indication that the bird © 
attacked the insect with a view to food. Mr. Jenner Weir incidentally. 
mentioned that he had himself witnessed the fact of an Agrion descending 
into the water to deposit its eggs. The President thought the larger species 
(the Libellula) might be strong enough to defend itself from some unknown 
enemies, whereas the smaller one (the Plathemis) was more at their mercy : 
but he thought the matter should be referred to American entomologists to 
observe the habits of the two species in question, and report thereon. 
Mr, F. Smith exhibited the cocoons of the American Tiphia tarda, of 
Say, given to him by Mr. Riley; these were double, there being an outer 
flimsy covering and an inner hard case, from which the imago escaped by 
making a small hole at one end. He was inclined to believe that the larve 
of Tiphia fed upon those of Aphodius, for he had observed the larve of the 
British species in galleries under dried-up cow-dung, but never actually in 
the act of devouring the Aphodius larve. Prof. Westwood suggested that 
examination should be made of the inner hard cocoon in order to decide 
whether it be made of silk or formed from an exudation of the larva. 
Mr. Miiller called attention to an apparently unrecorded instance of an 
insect destructive to green peas. He had last summer observed the outside 
of pea-pods showing large whitish blotches, and had found that these were 
produced by the attacks of the larve of a Thrips, fifty or sixty larve often 
being engaged upon one pod, and retreating into the adhering calyx when 
alarmed. 
Mr. M‘Lachlan read observations upon the synonymy of two common 
species of European ant-lions, usually known as Myrmeleon formicarius 
and formicalynx, showing the discrepancies in the Linnean descriptions in 
the various editions of the ‘Fauna Suecica’ and ‘Systema Nature,’ and 
proving that Linné more or less confused the two species. The Swedish 
entomologists affirmed that the species known as formicalynx by modern 
authors (described by Linné as an African insect) was the only ant-lion 
occurring in Sweden, and that it was the true formicarius of Linné, whereas 
the spotted-winged species, usually known by that name, was not an 
inhabitant of their country. 
The Secretary announced that Mr. Miskin, of Brisbane, elected that 
evening, wished to enter into correspondence with entomologists for the 
purpose of exchanging Lepidoptera and Coleoptera. 
New Part of ‘ Transactions,’ and of the ‘ Catalogue of British Insects.’ 
Part iii. of the ‘ Transactions ’ for 1871 (published in August) was on the 
table, as was also a further instalment of the proposed general Catalogue of 
British Insects, comprising the Aculeate Hymenoptera, compiled by 
Mr. F, Smith—R. M'L. 
