THE ZooLocist—Auveust, 1872. 3195 
larva having been infested with Hymenopterous parasites, the determination 
of the species was frustrated. 
Mr. Miller exhibited the mode of life of three species of Dipterous 
larve in the fronds of Pteris aquilina, collected at Weybridge on the 29th 
ultimo, viz.—rolls formed by the larva of Cecidomyia pteridis on the edge of 
the fronds; mines of some species of Muscide in the tips of the leaflets, 
and a globular tent at the ends of the fronds, also produced by a species of 
Muscide. 
Mr. Dunning called attention to an article in ‘Nature’ for June 20th, 
1872, by Mr. H. N. Moseley, concerning the sound produced by Acherontia 
Atropos. After passing in review the various theories which proposed to 
account for the production of this sound, Mr. Moseley detailed certain 
experiments he had made, and arrived at the opinion held by many entomo- 
logists that the sound is caused by expiration of air through the proboscis, 
in connection with certain elevating and depressing muscles in the interior 
of the head, which act upon a dome-shaped cavity or reservoir, after the 
manner of bellows. 
Mr. Dunning further alluded to a letter by Dr. Le Conte in the same 
journal for June 27th, 1872, concerning the parasite of the beaver (Platy- 
psylla castoris, Ritsema; Platypsyllus castorinus, Westwood), upon which 
Prof. Westwood had founded the order Achreioptera, whereas Ritsema 
placed it in the sub-order Aphaniptera. Dr. Le Conte stated that, in his 
Opinion, it pertained to the Coleoptera. Furthermore he thought the 
insect was not truly a parasite, but rather an inquiline, living probably upon 
epidermal scales. He announced that the Rev. A. Matthews had prepared 
for him a series of beautiful dissections of the creature. 
Prof. Westwood observed that with reference to Dr. Le Conte’s remarks 
on the Coleopterous nature of the genus, he could not recognize it as 
belonging to the order Coleoptera; and that his detailed illustrations (which 
he had recently shown to Dr. Le Conte) intended for publication in his 
forthcoming ‘ Thesaurus Entomologicus,’ had for some time been 
engraved. 
Prof. Westwood called attention to the notice of the Board of Studies for 
the Natural Science School at Oxford (a copy of which was on the table), as 
being the first recognition of Zoology as a branch of university education 
at Oxford. He also alluded to Mr. Scudder’s memoir on N orth-American 
Rhopalocera, as exhibiting a complete bouleversement of generic nomenclature, 
nearly every species being also formed into a separate genus, with generic 
characters of sometimes four to six pages in length. 
Mr. W. A. Lewis placed before the meeting a copy of the following 
circular addressed to entomologists, with list of signatures as appended 
thereto :— 
