18 



species of the genus Aphis, and read the undermentioned 

 note : — 



" I should mention that at my home we have a greenhouse 

 and a fern-house, continuous with one onother. Under the 

 sloping roof of the fern-house, several large fuchsia plants are 

 trained, shading the ferns beneath. The green flies, at certain 

 times of the year, simply swarm over leaves and flowers alike. 

 My father endeavours to keep these pests in check by occa- 

 sionally ' smoking' the fern-house; but they soon multiply, 

 and in a short time their numbers are as great as before. 

 Last year, however, in July, he noticed that he was not alto- 

 gether unaided in his somewhat hopeless war of extermination. 

 Running about on the leaves of two different kinds of orchids 

 — Oncidiuin tnacranthum and a species of Anthiiriiini, kept in 

 the adjoining greenhouse, he noticed several very small black 

 flies. He had noticed previously many somewhat inflated, 

 glistening, hard and empty skins of green flies fixed firmly to 

 the fuchsia leaves. On my attention being called to these 

 smaller flies, I saw at once that they were Ichneumons. To 

 make sure whence they came, I enclosed a number of fuchsia 

 leaves and flowers, infested with green flies, in a box. Result : 

 shrivelled leaves and flowers, dead aphides, and a series of 

 ichneumons, which, together with a few hardened skins similar 

 to those just described, I mounted on card, and show to-night 

 under the microscope. One ichneumon only comes out of 

 each green fly. The ichneumons themselves are very pretty, 

 both in form and colour ; the latter is a combination of black 

 and yellow markings. As to their precise name, I consulted 

 Mr. Kirby at the British Museum. He told me that they 

 almost certainly belonged to the genus Ap]iidins, of sub- 

 family Aphididae — this in turn belonging to the Braconidae." 



Mr. E. Step, referring to Mr. Carrington's observations at 

 the previous meeting, exhibited Arum maciilatum, L., which 

 he said was commonly known as the Cuckoo-pint, Wake 

 Robin, or Lords and Ladies, The leaves were generally spotted ; 

 but in the examples shown it would be noticed they were 

 entirely without spots. There were two species found in this 

 country; the other one known as A. italicum^ Mill., occurring 

 only in the Isle of Wight. They belonged to the order 

 Araceae. The majority of the plants were poisonous, although 

 from them arrow-root, sago, and tapioca were obtained. At 

 one tim.e a drink called saloup was made from the roots of the 

 Arum. Mr. Step then gave a description of the plant, the 

 inflorescence and the process of fertilization by insects. 



Mr. Tugwell said saloup, or salep, used to be made from 



