XXXll 



" December 5, 1877. 

 J. W. Dunning, M.A., F.L.S., Vice-President, in the chair. 



Donations to the Library- were announced, and thanks voted to the 

 donors. 



Exhibitions, dc. 



Mr. W. L. Distant exhibited two rare species of Hemiptera-Heteroptera 

 from the "West Coast of Africa, viz. Tetroxia Beauvoisii, Fairmaire, described 

 in 1858, but according to Stal the tj'pe, in the possession of Siguoret, is 

 without antennae, rostrum, abdomen or legs, and is also placed by Stal 

 amongst " species incerti generis ; " and Oncocephalus siibspinosus, A. & S., 

 described in 1 843 ; according to Stal the type, in a bad condition, is in the 

 collection of Signoret. 



Mr. F. Smith exhibited a fine series of both sexes of Macropis labiata, 

 captured by Mr. J. B. Bridgman, of Norwich, at Brundall, near that city. 

 A British specimen of the male had for many years been unique in the 

 collection of the British Museum ; at length a second male was taken in 

 the New Forest by the late Mr. J. Walton, and twenty years subsequently 

 Mr. S. Stevens took a third at Weybridge. During the past season 

 Mr. Bridgman took both sexes in some numbers. 



Mr. Smith also exhibited a specimen of Rophites quinquespinosus, captured 

 at Guestling, near Hastings, by the Eev. E. H. Bloomfield during the past 

 season. This capture added a new genus and species to the British 

 Hymenopterous fauna, and was the most important addition that had been 

 made for many years. 



Mr. Meldola exhibited three photographic enlargements of micro-photo- 

 graphs by Mr. Edward Viles, of Pendryl Hall, Wolverhampton. These 

 photographs, two of which were of parts of insects, — viz. the mouth organs 

 of a bee and the proboscis of a fly, — had been exhibiteu at the recent 

 Exhibition of the Photographic Society of London, and had obtained one of 

 the Society's medals. The original negatives, taken by means of the 

 object-glass of a microscope fitted into the camera in place of the ordinary 

 lens, were 3 inches square, while the finished enlargements were 30 X 34 

 inches, being thus enlarged 10 diameters. 



Mr. Meldola next exhibited an acoustal experiment illustrating the 

 effects of resonance in increasing the volume of sound emitted by 

 a vibrating bell. This illustration gave experimental demonstration of the 

 action of the stridulating apparatus of the Pterinoxylus mentioned at the 

 last meeting by Mr. Wood-Mason. In this insect the sound-producing 

 structure is the vibrating membrane known as the " talc-like spot," which 

 is surrounded by a "milled" edge or rasp which is scraped by the hard 



