136 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



of Raphidia. Mr. McLachlan, Prof. Meldola, and Mr. Gaban made 

 some remarks on the subject. Mr. C. G. Barrett exhibited, for Dr. H. 

 G. Knaggs, cells of Retinia resinana formed of resin but lined with wax. 

 A portion of the cell had been removed and the resin dissolved away 

 with spirit, leaving a slight film of wax (cf. Ent. Mo. Mag., Nov. 1895, 

 pp. 251, 252). Mr. Tutt stated that a secretion of wax had been 

 detected by Dr. Chapman in Parnassius apollo. Prof. Meldola suggested 

 that as Dr. Knaggs had shown how to separate the resin from the wax 

 it would be of interest to make a chemical investigation of the latter, 

 since a su£ficient supply of this material could easily be obtained. No 

 insect wax, with the exception of that of the bee, had been submitted 

 to investigation by chemists. Mr. Hampson and Mr. Blandford con- 

 tinued the discussion. Mr. Gahan exhibited drawings of the dorsal 

 segments of the abdomen of Dyscritina longisetosa^ formerly described 

 by Prof. Westwood in Trans. Ent. Soc, 1881, a specimen of which was 

 shown by Mr. E. E. Green at the last meeting of the Society. He 

 regretted that no drawing showing the ventral surface had yet been 

 prepared. Mr. McLachlan, Dr. Sharp, and Mr. Green made some 

 remarks on the subject. Mr. B. A. Bower exhibited specimens of 

 Argyresthia atmorielta, Bankes, taken in Kent in June, 1894, a recent 

 addition to the British Lepidoptera. Mr. E. E. Green read notes on 

 the habits of the Indian ant, iEcopliylla sinaraydina, Fabr. He said he 

 believed that, at some previous meeting of the Society, Mr. H. N. 

 Eidley, of the Singapore Museum, had made some remarks on this ant 

 and its supposed habit of using its own larvae as web-spinners in the 

 formation of its nest ; but though he had not been able to find anything 

 on the subject in the * Proceedings,' Mr. Green stated that he was now 

 able to produce corroborative evidence from an independent source. 

 The facts were noted by his friend Mr. W. D. Holland, of Balangoda, 

 Ceylon, a most careful observer. Mr. Green exhibited the specimens 

 referred to by Mr. Holland, and pointed out that the larvae were still 

 tightly grasped by the jaws of the ants, and he thought it probable that 

 other web-spinning ants utilised their larvae in the same way. Mr. 

 Hampson said he could confirm this statement. Mr. G. F. Scott-Elliot 

 read a paper entitled ** Notes on the Flower-haunting Diptera." The 

 author pointed out that some of the higher types of Diptera appeared 

 to prefer red and blue flowers, and oftener visited the complicated types 

 of plants than the smaller Hymenoptera. He also alluded to the effect 

 of insect visitors in isolating particular individuals. Prof. Meldola 

 expressed himself much interested in the paper, and stated that 

 although he was aware, from the writings of Hermann Miilier and 

 others, that Diptera played an important part in the fertilisation of 

 flowers, he was unaware of the very great importance which these 

 insects possessed for the function of pollination until he heard 

 Mr. Scott-Elliot's paper. He also called attention to the urgent need 

 of a manual of British Diptera. Mr. Roland Trimen mentioned 

 that in South Africa some species of Orchidaceae were fertilized 

 by Diptera. Dr. Sharp referred to Professor Plateau's opinion 

 that neither the colour nor form of the flower played any part 

 in attracting insects. Mr. McLachlan remarked that the flowers of 

 Scrophularia possessed a great attraction for wasps. Lord Walsingham 

 enquired whether any observation had been made as to the Diptera 



