53 



the scales, and to attach the tail of the pupa to the eaten 

 portion in such a manner that the head points in an upward 

 direction and towards the outer edge of the scale, as will be 

 seen by the pupa in situ on the detached scale now exhibited. 

 This arrangement appears to answer the double purpose of 

 keeping the pupa from falling out of the cone and protecting 

 it from undue moisture, as rain falling on the scales would 

 run down their front or upper surfaces and they would thus 

 form roofs for the pupa attached to their back or under 

 surfaces." 



Mr. Step said that no doubt the cones were hygroscopic, 

 the scales closing in damp weather and only opening during 

 dry and high winds, thus affording the seeds the greatest 

 chance of being carried far from the parent tree. The insect 

 in acquiring its protective characteristics had adapted itself 

 to the circumstances of its existence in its early stages. He 

 also thought that if a seed were attacked before it was ripe, 

 by a larva, it would not fall, and probably the scales would 

 not open. 



Mr. H. Moore exhibited a number of fossil shark's teeth, 

 taken from a cargo of guano which had been brought from 

 Bull River, South America. It was supposed that the guano 

 was obtained from a coprolite bed. 



Mr. Harrison exhibited and presented to the Society three 

 photographic views of Boldermere, taken by himself during 

 the Society's visit to Wisley on July 7th. Mr. Step hoped 

 that this innovation would be followed up ; and it was sug- 

 gested that an album be obtained to contain such mementos, 



Mr. Robert Adkin read the following communication from 

 Mr. South concerning the dipterous larvae in reeds, exhibited 

 on March 22nd, 1894 : 



" A few months ago I exhibited some swollen stems of 

 PJiraginites coinvmnis, Trin. {Arundo phragmites), QdiCh. con- 

 taining a large dipterous larva, which I was then unable 

 to identify. Several letters concerning these infested reeds 

 have been received, and there appears to be little doubt that 

 the larvae in them were those of Lipara lucens, Mg. 



"The Rev. E. N. Bloomfield, Guestling Rectory, Hastings, 

 writes to me as follows : — ' I see that on March 22nd you 

 exhibited some " heads" of Arundo phragmites infested by a 

 large dipterous larva. Doubtless these were the larvae of 

 Lipara lucens. Last year Mr. E. A. Butler sent me speci- 

 mens of the infested shoots, and of the insects bred from them. 

 He found them in plenty at Pevensey, and also at Bexhill. 

 Lipara hicens, Mg., belongs to the family of the Chloropidae, 



