Entomological Society, 141 



glandular bodies coexist ; the former I regard as the true salivary- 

 organs, the latter as veneniferous glands for the destruction of prey. 

 In Nepa, Notonecta, Naucoris and Ranatra these bodies are beauti- 

 fully developed. 



In pulmonary Arachnida the veneniferous glands are situated in 

 the cephalothorax ; their excretorj' ducts arise from the anterior part 

 of the gland and traverse a minute canal in the mandibles, and open 

 at the perforated extremity of these organs. 



In Myriapoda, as in the preparation of Geophilus longicornis now 

 before us, the veneniferous glands lie at the base of the mandibles 

 among the striped or voluntar}' muscles that occupy this region. With 

 an inch glass we see these organs most satisfactorily ; they consist of 

 two oblong compact bodies composed of bundles of diaphanous cells 

 closely pressed together and inclosed in a distinct capsule reposing 

 loosely at the base of the jaws and occupying the hollow part of 

 these organs ; from the anterior part of the gland rises a single ex- 

 cretory duct, which passes forwards in an arched direction and enters 

 a canal in the horny part of the perforated jaw and opens near its 

 apex, as in the Arachnida. By this mechanism, when Geophilus in- 

 serts its mandibles into the body of its victim, it at the same moment 

 introduces a poison into the wound which destroys life, after the 

 same principle as the parotid glands in some ophidian reptiles, as 

 Crotalus, Naja and Vipera, are metamorphosed into veneniferous 

 glands for the destruction of living prey. After this communication 

 was made, Dr. Wright demonstrated the preparation to the members 

 of the Club, and exhibited the singular structure with the aid of the 

 microscope. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



January 5th, 1846.— The Rev. F. W. Hope, F.R.S., President, in 



the Chair. 



Mr. Edward Doubleday exhibited a large web, of a delicate silken 

 texture and four or five yards long, sent from Mexico, and intended 

 for the collection of the British Museum, known by the name of the 

 Tela de Maiz, spun by the caterpillars of some small Yponomeuta or 

 Anacampsis over heaps of maize laid up in store. 



The President exhibited a portion of Mr. Fortnum's collection of 

 insects formed at Adelaide in South Australia, with drawings of some 

 of the more remarkable kinds, and announced that it was intended 

 that a share of the duplicates should be placed in the collection of 

 the Entomological Society. 



Mr. Bedell (who was present as a visitor) exhibited a specimen 

 of Argyromiges Roborella of Zeller, a species new to Great Britain. 



A note was read by Mr. Brayley, accompanied by a species of 

 Anthomyia (A. pluvialis, Linn..?), observed by a druggist to settle 

 in great numbers on the filter when he was preparing tincture of 

 cantharides, and at no other time. They did not however come out 

 of the cantharides. 



Extracts were read from letters addressed by Mr. Benson to Mr. 



