62 [Proc. B. N. F. C, 



within the pitcher, so soon as these have opened. The female 

 lays her eggs singly, near the mouth of the pitcher, and the 

 young larva, from the moment of hatching, spins for itself a 

 carpet of silk, and very soon closes up the mouth by drawing 

 the rims together, and covering them with a delicate web, 

 which debars all outside intruders. It then frets the leaf 

 within, commencing under the hood, and eating downwards on 

 the cellular tissue, leaving only the epidermis. As it proceeds, 

 the lower part becomes packed with its droppings, and the 

 upper part collapses. It feeds on Sarracenia variolaris and S. flava, 

 and there are two broods in the year. The second species is a 

 still more invariable living accompaniment of these plants. By 

 the time the whitsh efflorescence shows round the mouth of 

 the pitcher, the moist and macerated insect remains at the 

 bottom will often be found to contain a single whitish legless 

 grub, about as large round as a goose quill. This worm riots 

 in the putrid insect remains, and > when fed to repletion, bores 

 through the leaf and burrows in the ground, where it shrinks 

 into the pupa state, and in a few days emerges as a large two- 

 winged fly, called Sarcophaga sarracenia, the Sarracenia flesh 

 fly. These two insects are the only species of any size that can 

 with impunity invade the death-dealing trap while the leaf is 

 in full vigour ; all other insects, as far as is known, tumble into 

 the tube, and there meet death. 



On 29th March — The sixth meeting of the session was held 

 in the Museum, College Square North — Joseph Wright, Esq., 

 F.G.S., in the chair — when a paper was read by Mr. F. W. 

 LocKwooD, Hon. Secretary, entitled " Glacial Notes amongst 

 the English Lakes— are they rock basins?" The lecturer 

 pointed out the attraction the English Lakes must always have 

 to residents in Belfast, owing to their great facility of access, 

 and the striking phenomena illustrated in them. Besides the 

 principal lakes, which are long, narrow, groove-like depressions 

 in the rock, there are upwards of forty tarns amongst the 



