270 president's addeess. 



the larvce Tery numerous, I have not met with a single indiWdual. 

 I trust therefore that the crops of the farmers this yeai' may 

 escape the ravages of this destructive grub. 



"It is difficult to account for the abundance or scarcity of in- 

 sects : severe frost even does not seem to destroy the larva?. If 

 I might venture an opinion I should say that a wet season occur- 

 ring when the parent deposits her eggs, and an unfavoui'able 

 period happening when the hatching is in progress, may render 

 the ova unfertile and destroy the newly hatched young. 



'*I noticed towards the end of June that the larva) of the 

 pretty little Tortrix viridana had almost defoliated the Oaks in 

 Chopwcll AVoods, gi\'ing them the appearance of ha^'ing been 

 burnt with fire. This injury, however, is not permanent, for as 

 soon as the larva) are full fed the trees again put forth fiTsh 

 leaves, and resume their usual appearance. The birds did not 

 seem to feed on these larvtc, and it is a well-kno\vn fact that cer- 

 tain larva) of insects are repulsive to the feathered tribes ; their 

 only enemies appeared to be the hordes of ants which abound in 

 the woods ; these ants climb the trees, ascending to the highest 

 branches, and each one returns to the earth with a wriggling 

 larva clasped firmly in its powerful jaws." 



For this very interesting report my best thanks have been ex- 

 pressed to Mr. Maling. 



The thanks of the Club are, however, due also to Mr. E. C. 

 liobson, one of our Vice-Presidents, who, in answer to an appli- 

 cation with which I ventured to trouble him, has favoured me 

 with the following note on the subject of a most interesting 

 plant: — ''Thanks for your enquiry as to any object of interest 

 to our Club. Nothing occurs to me except that our local Bot- 

 anists (and indeed Botanists generally) may be glad to know that, 

 in the past summer, Mr. John Cameron and 1 visited the spot 

 where the Cypripedium Calveulus was found by us in 1874, and 

 thougli there wore u])ward8 of twenty plants we were not fortu- 

 nate enough to find a single flower, whereas in the summer of 

 1876 we gatliercd four well developed Hewers. I do not, for 

 obnous reasons, indicate the exact locality, but it is a satisfaction 

 to know tliat the plant has not disappeared from our Flora, though 



