464 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
In dry weather it might be preferable to make them into heaps on the downs, 
and, after being allowed to dry a little, covered with dry trash or grass and 
burnt. This cutting out was commenced some six weeks ago; and during 
that time 246 acres have been gone over, and although experience is so short, 
it may be safely said that the young cane-stumps look stronger than they 
have done for a long time past, although they have had very dry weather on 
them lately. Fifty punt loads of tops and water-sprouts, which had shown 
signs of the attacks of the borers, have been brought home and ground, and 
the juice showing a density of 10424, after being neutralized by lime, was 
set up and distilled. Sufficient rum and megass were obtained to pay all 
expenses.” Ants are of very great service, as they devour the insects when 
in the chrysalis state, and it is satisfactory to notice that they are on the 
increase. It is evident that to burn fields in which the small red or black ants 
are to be found in abundance is a mistake, as large numbers of the best 
friends of the canes must inevitably be destroyed by the fire. To entice ants 
and other insects known to be antagonistic to grub-life is of vital importance, 
and no trouble should be spared in getting them into the cane-fields. 
Mr. M‘Lachlau stated that the lepidopterous larva proving so destructive 
was probably no other than that of the moth noticed by Fabricius in 1794 
as “ Phalena saccharalis,” and which had been commonly noticed since his 
time in various West Indian and South American plantations. He agreed 
with Miss Ormerod that the only probable means of lessening the amount 
of damage was to be sought in the practice of uprooting and burning all 
infested canes the moment they showed signs of the presence of the larva; 
not by burning them on the ground, but by collecting them and destroying 
them by fire outside the plantations, by which means the risk of destroying 
the natural enemies of the borer would be avoided. From the accounts 
just read it appeared probable that the Calandra only came in after the 
canes had been rendered unhealthy, or were destroyed, by the larva of the 
moth, and thus acted the part of scavengers, completing the work commenced 
by the moth. 
Mr. Jenner Weir exhibited a pair, male and female, of Cicada montana, 
taken in the New Forest, in July, 1879. 
M. Ch. Oberthur communicated the following paper :—‘ Observations 
sur les Lepidopteres des iles Sangir et descriptions de quelques especes 
nouvelles.” Coloured drawings of some of the new species described were 
exhibited. Mee 
October 1, 1879.—Sir Joun Luspocs, Bart., M.P., V.-P.R.S., President, 
in the chair. 
The President first alluded to the loss which the Society had sustained 
by the death of Mr. William Wilson Saunders, F.R.S., who had been 
President in 1841, 1856 and 1857. 
