2732 The Zoologist — August, 1871. 



created. i\Ir. Jenner Weir objected to the use of the term ' created ' in 

 scientific communications. 



Baron De Selys-Longchamps communicated a paper under the title 

 "Aper9u statistique sur les Nevropteres Odonates." In this memoir he 

 enumerated the number of known species of dragon-flies under their 

 respective genera and subgenera. He estimated the total number at 

 about 1350. 



Mr. S. S. Saundei^s read a paper intituled " Strepsiperidum, pi'o ordine 

 Strepsipterorum Kirbii olim, mihi tamen potius Coleopterorum Familia 

 Ehipiphoridibus propinqua, Monographia." 



Mr. Saunders divided the groups into four subfamilies, according to the 

 several Hymenopterous tribes with which they are associated ; namely (1), 

 the true Stylopidaj, found with the Mellifera of Latreille ; (2) the Myrme- 

 colacidae, with the Formicidae ; (3) the Xenidse, with the social wasps ; and 

 (4) the PseudoxenidiB, with the solitary wasps and Fossores ; these latter 

 tribes coinciding more or less in their habits and economy, and requiring 

 about eirfht or nine months (from cue year to the next) to attain maturity ; 

 involving a corresponding detention for their Strepsipterous dependents ; 

 whereas the true Xenida, consorting with the social Vespidse, must be 

 reared from their primary hexapod condition in from thirty to forty days. 

 such being the term within which the larvae of the social Vespidae attain 

 the imago state ; the females of the latter hybernating with those of Xenos, 

 which produce their larval brood the ensuing year; whereas the Pseu- 

 doxenidae, after their long-protracted larval condition as aforesaid, must 

 produce their young the selfsame year in which they themselves complete 

 their transformations, in order that their brood may obtain access to the 

 future larva-cells of their non-hyhernating foster parents. 



As a sectional division for those which associate with the Fossores (as 

 first noticed by Dufour), Mr. Saunders proposed the term Paraxenidae. 



The genera and subgenera recorded were eight in number, comprising 

 21 species, as follows : — Halictophagus 1 ; Stylops 5 ; Hylecthrus 3 ; 

 Elenchus 3 ; Myrmecolax 1 ; Xenos 2 ; Pseudoxenos 3 ; and Paraxenos 3. 

 Of these IC were European (whereof 7 British), and 5 extra-European. 



Mr. Saunders also exhibited a series of specimens, including two new 

 species ; Pseudoxenos Corcyricus $ , from Epipone spiuipes L. ; and 

 Paraxenos Erberi 3', from a variety of the Larra peregrina of Smith (now 

 appertaining to the genus Bembecinus of Costa) ; one of the former, 

 together with some others, being retained in situ, when in the act of 

 emerging from the pupa-cases in the bodies of their foster-parents. 



The vexed question of the affinity of this class of insects with the 

 Coleoptera was adverted to in a preamble. — R. M'L. 



