43 



MARCH loth, 1887. 



R. Adkin, Esq., F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



Messrs. D. J. Rice and H. H. Druce were elected 

 members. 



Mr. T. R. Billups exhibited specimens of an exotic Ant, 

 Tapinoma melanocephalum, For., taken by him September, 

 1886, in the Palm House, Kew Gardens, on a species of palm 

 (Hozvea griesbachia) from Tropical Australia. He remarked 

 that the species was first described by Forel from Cayenne 

 specimens. Since then the insect had been received from the 

 Tonga Islands, and recently from Bahia and St. Thomas. 

 Examples had also been met with in India, Oceania, Tropical 

 America ; and Forel found the ant on board one of the West 

 Indian mail steamers ; but this is the first recorded capture of 

 the species in Europe. The number of exotic ants found in 

 Kew Gardens by Messrs. Smith, Saunders, and himself was 

 by this addition raised to seven species. 



Mr. R. Adkin exhibited Zanclognatha tarsipennalis, Tr., 

 and read the following note : 



"From a Moth taken at Chobham on July 15th, 1886, I 

 obtained ova which hatched on the 24th. Being desirous of 

 quickly feeding up the seven young larvse that were produced, 

 they were placed upon knotgrass in a bottle, which was kept 

 indoors. By October 8th one had fed up and pupated, and 

 the imago emerged on the 30th of that month ; the remainder 

 did not, however, appear to be fully grown ; and as they had 

 made slight webs among moss that had been given to them, I 

 concluded that they would hybernate, so, having placed them, 

 moss and all, in a flower-pot with a small growing plant of 

 bramble and some low plants, they were put out in a shed in 

 the garden. No further notice was taken of them until 

 March 1st, 1886, when the only larva visible was still in its 

 web. On May 16th, six larvae were still alive, and on 18th 

 one had turned to pupa, and the last, two having died in the 

 meantime, pupated early in July. The imagines appeared 

 on June 16th, 17th, July 15th and 22nd respectively ; the last 



