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Hall, who sent the mass of flies to the editor of the Field 

 newspaper for identification. Mr. Billups said that the 

 species was Atherix ibis, R, one of the family Leptidcs, and 

 that the cluster consisted of female specimens only, it being 

 the usual habit of the females of this species to deposit their 

 ova on a branch overhanging water, and then almost imme- 

 diately to die ; these are followed by others which conduct 

 themselves in a similar manner, and so form the pear-shaped 

 mass which sometimes numbers many hundreds. The larvae 

 hatch from these ova, and drop into the water, where they 

 undergo their metamorphoses. 



JULY lUh, 1889. 



T. R. Billups, Esq., F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Billups exhibited specimens of the curious Braconid, 

 Orgibts obscurator, N., bred by Mr. Adkin from a lepidop- 

 terous larvae feeding in the shoots of sallow, from Derry, 

 Ireland, but the host was not known. Also specimens of 

 Apanteles ruficrus, Hal., showing the clusters of cocoons and 

 remains of its host, Diloba cceriileocephala, L., from the neigh- 

 bourhood of Horsley, Surrey, the larvK being collected by 

 Mr. South. The exhibitor remarked that this common and 

 gregarious parasite had been reared from widely different 

 hosts, Mr. Bignell having bred it from Leucania littoralis, Curt, 

 and Spilosonia nienthrasti ; Mr. Raynor had bred it from 

 Leticania pallens, L., and Mr, Fitch from CoUix sparsata, Hb. ; 

 while other gentlemen had bred it from Agrotis prcEcox, L., 

 and Mr. Porritt had reared it from the same host as at 

 present mentioned, Diloba cceruleocepJiala, L. 



Mr. Billups again referred to the exhibition by Mr. 

 Carrington at the previous meeting of the very curious 

 cluster of dead flies {Atherix ibis) ; and now exhibited two 

 dead flies with large clusters of minute pupae attached, from 

 which had been bred another species of Hymenopterous 

 parasite of the genus E^icyrtiis ; at the previous meeting 

 Antceon aloms, Walk., was found in the cluster of dead flies ; 

 but since then the tiny Encyrtus must have emerged in 

 myriads, judging from the enormous number of pupa 

 cases found. 



