105 



constructed by larvae taken at Fleet, Hampshire, in August, 

 i8g8, and a separate cocoon of S. pavonia with contents, 

 viz. : pupa, and pupa and imago of a species of Diptera. 



Mr. Carpenter said that the composite character of the 

 E. lanestris cocoons was often due to overcrowding. 



Dr. Chapman exhibited larvae of Leioptihts lienigianus in 

 the spun-up leaves of wormwood. 



Mr. Kaye exhibited bred and captured specimens of 

 Pseudoterpna pruinata from Byfleet, obtained during the 

 Society's Field Meeting there. 



Dr. Dixon exhibited a large number of the spines and 

 dried specimens of cactus plants mounted and named. 



Mr. Hy. J. Turner read a paper on " Cactaceous Plants," 

 illustrating it by a short series of lantern slides ; also by 

 a considerable number of dried specimens of Cacti and 

 mounted clusters of spines, kindly lent by Dr. Dixon, of 

 Bermondsey. After describing the general characters of 

 Xerophytic plants, as nearly all Cacti and Succulents are 

 termed, he described the nature of their habitats in the hot, 

 dry regions of Central and South America and Africa, and 

 referred to the areas of distribution of the various groups. 

 He stated the chief botanical families to which these plants 

 belong ; and showed how differently constituted groups of 

 plants had responded to their environment, and overcome the 

 absence of water for a lengthened period by various contriv- 

 ances, both morphological and physiological. The absence 

 of functional leaves, and even branches, necessitated the 

 carrying on of the vital actions by the stem. The absolute 

 necessity for the retention of moisture, and the various 

 methods by which this was attained, were discussed at 

 length. The extremes and variety of spinous development 

 were described, and their effectiveness in preserving these 

 juicy inhabitants of the desert from animal depredators was 

 well shown. A few remarks were made as to the curious and 

 attractive features of many species, and it was stated that 

 they required little care under cultivation, often thriving best 

 when but irregularly attended to, and thus were well suited 

 for the greenhouse of an active entomologist. 



OCTOBER 26th, 1899. 



Mr. A. Harrison, F.L.S., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Tomlinson, of Kingston-on-Thames, was elected a 

 member. 



