SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 265 



Prof. Westwood called attention to a communication in a Sussex news- 

 paper by a gardener named Page, stating that he had found a new cause of 

 the potato disease. On examination by Prof. Westwood, this supposed cause 

 was found to consist in the attacks of Polydesmus complanatus, L. After 

 Guerin-Meueville's and Curtis's publications on the numerous insects, myria- 

 pods, &c, which are found living in the diseased potatoes, he was surprised 

 that the now well-known potato disease should be attributed to these attacks. 

 The Rev. A. E. Eaton exhibited a patent revolving object-holder, used 

 by mineralogists, affording great facilities in adjusting the position of insects 

 subjected to microscopical examination, thus allowing of the examination of 

 every part without removing the specimen. 



Sir Sidney Saunders communicated remarks on the characters of the 

 vegetable-feeding fig-insects. 



Mr. E. A. Fitch exhibited leaf-rosette galls of Cecidomyia viola, F. Low, 

 found in Epping Forest on Sept. 23rd last, by Mr. Henry Corder, on Viola 

 sylvatica. Dr. Low described the gnat as new in 1881 (Verb. z.-b. Ges. 

 "VVien, xxx. 34), from specimens bred from similarly formed galls on Viola 

 tricolor. Mr. Fitch also exhibited a bright red bean-like Aphis gall on a 

 pinna of Pistacia lentiscus from Cannes, received from Dr. Cobbold ; its 

 maker is probably Aploneura lentisci, Licht. ? (cf. Ann. Soc. Esp. Hist. Nat., 



vii. 471-4). A curious new cecidomyideous gall 

 on the woody twigs of Juniperus was also ex- 

 hibited. Mr. Fitch had received specimens two 

 days previously from Mr. W. C. Boyd from Men- 

 tone ; the galls were very succulent, and greatly 

 resembled a cluster of full-fed Ixodes or miniature 

 brown leather pouches attached round the juniper 

 twig, the bunch consisting of galls extending to 

 the length of an inch along the twig ; the galls 

 were easily detached from the twig at their bases, 

 and the orange-red gnat larvae liberated, hence 

 they probably undergo their metamorphoses in 

 the ground. 



Mr. H. Goss exhibited specimens of Pimelia angulata, Fabr., obtained 

 by Mr. H. B. Forman in the temple of the Sphinx, near the Pyramids of 

 Ghizeh, Egypt. 



Mr. A. S. Olliff read a memoir " On a small collection of Clavicorn 

 Coleoptera from North Borneo," made by Mr. W. B. Pryer. 



Mr. P. Cameron communicated some " Descriptions of new Genera and 

 Species of Hymenoptera," from the Sandwich Islands, from Britain, and 

 from Brazil. 



Mr. W. F. Kirby read some " Notes on new or little-known Species of 

 Hymenoptera, chiefly from New Zealand." 



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