7222 Entomological Society. 



Suffrian, taken by the late James Foxcroft in Perthshire, in May, 1854. He re- 

 marked that this species so nearly resembled the common D. sericea, L. (D. Proteus, ] 

 Steph.), that it has probably been confounded with it in some of our collections ; it 

 may, however, be readily distinguished by its parallel elytra, and the totally diflFerent 

 structure of its antennae, which are much shorter and stouter, with the third joint only 

 just perceptibly longer than the second, and but very little shorter than the fourth ; 

 whereas in D. sericea the antennae have the third joint fully half as long again as the 

 second, and nearly as much shorter than the fourth. He observed that the occurrence 

 of this species in Britain was particularly interesting, as it had hitherto been found 

 only in the Hartz mountains, where it was discovered about the year 1806, by Dahl, 

 who, from mercenary motives, not only kept its true locality a secret, but circulated 

 various absurd and false statements respecting it ; thus, Ahrens, in his ' Monograph of 

 Donacia' (Neue Schriften der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft zu Halle, 29, 1810), 

 relates that Dahl had beaten it in some numbers from pine trees. Twenty years sub- 

 sequently, however (in the summer of 1830), Ahrens found the beetle in considerable 

 plenty in the Hartz, on the leaves of Comarum palustre ; and at the end of July in 

 the following year Dr. Suffrian met with it under similar circumstances in the same 

 locality (vide Eiit. Zeit. Stett. vii. 85, 1846). Mr. Janson further remarked, that 

 although our British species of Donacia are readily separable by external characters, 

 several North- American species are not only so closely allied inter se, but, moreover, 

 bear so strong a resemblance to certain European species, that while, on the one hand, 

 certain slight yet apparently constant peculiarities in habit induce the conviction that 

 they are really specifically distinct, it is, on the other hand, utterly impossible to find 

 good diagnostics whereby to characterise them. A few evenings since, being engaged 

 with Mr. Baly in endeavouring to throw the North-American Donaciae of that gen- 

 tleman's extensive collection into species, we remarked that many of the specimens 

 presented an exserted organ at the apex- of the abdomen ; these we at first supposed 

 to be males, but the microscope soon convinced us that they were females, and that 

 the organ thus protruded was the ovipositor within its sheaths. To clear up the 

 doubts we at first had on this point we examined many specimens, and the result not 

 only satisfied us that this organ is the ovipositor, but that the structure both of the 

 superior and inferior valves, especially the first, varies so much in apparently closely- 

 allied species as to afford reliable characters for their discrimination. 



Mr. Rye exhibited a Bagous, apparently distinct from the recorded British spe- 

 cies, taken at Hammersmith. Also, on behalf of Mr. Solomon, the following rare 

 Coleoptera : — Aleochara ruficornis, from Campsie Glen, Glasgow ; Philonthus lepi- 

 dus, from Southport ; Omias sulcifrons, from York ; and Phleophagus Spadix, from 

 Purfleet. 



Mr. McLachlan exhibited some Lepidoptera recently captured in the Isle of 

 Wight, including fine specimens of Triphsena subsequa and Depressaria bipunctosa, 

 and a long series of a Gelechia allied to G. instabilella and G. ocellatella, but con- 

 sidered by him perfectly distinct from either. 



Mr. McLachlan also brought for distribution among the members a series of bred 

 specimens of Coleophora saturatella. 



Mr. Janson read the following letter, lately received by him from Walter Elliot, 

 Esq., of Hawick, N.B., dated August 30, 1860 :— 



'• Dear Sir, — I have not been unmindful of the interesting conversation I had with 

 you iu the month of June last, on the subject of the Hylobius Abietis, but several 



