Proceedings of Learned Societies*. 225 



PROCEEDINGS OF LEARNED SOCIETIES. 



BY W. B. TEGETMEIER. 



ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



New Coleoptera from Cochin China. — The discoveries of M. 

 Mouhot in Cambodia and Cochin China were described at page 240 

 of onr first volume, in the account of the meeting of the Geographi- 

 cal Society held March 10. 



Since that date M. Mouhot has fallen a victim to his scientific 

 exertions, a circumstance which gave a melancholy interest to the 

 grand collection of Coleoptera, many new to science, which he had 

 obtained from the mountains of Lao, in Cochin China, and which 

 were exhibited by Mr. Stevens. Mr. A. "Wallace exhibited a new 

 and very admirable plan of mounting small Coleoptera and other 

 insects on slips of thin transparent gelatine in the place of card ; 

 the advantages being twofold, firstly, that the use of gum is un- 

 necessary, as the insect adheres firmly to the moistened gelatine ; 

 and, secondly, that the underside of the insect is readily examined, 

 as the gelatine may be obtained in sheets which are perfectly trans- 

 parent and colourless. This latter advantage is one of no slight 

 importance in those cases where only single specimens of rare insects 

 are contained in a collection. 



On the same evening Mr. Smith exhibited a singular specimen 

 of the common hive bee, Apis Mellifica. The head had the peculiar 

 form and lai'ge eyes of the drone or male, and the legs and wings 

 of the right side were also those of the drone. 



The left side, however, was that of a neuter or common worker, 

 whilst, as if to complete the singularity, the sting was straight, re- 

 sembling that of the fertile female or queen bee. 



Insect Flying under Water. — September 8. Mr. John Lubbock 

 showed a small British Hymenopterous insect, not more than a line in 

 breadth, which had been captured swimming under water by means 

 of its wings. It had been determined to be one of the Ichneumons, 

 the Polynema fuscvpes. Little is known of the habits of this insect, 

 and it is difficult to account for the circumstance of one of a para- 

 sitic group being found in such a situation. Mr. Lubbock had 

 ascertained that it was able to live four hours under water with- 

 out the necessity of coming to the surface to breathe, bat that if a 

 number were submerged for a longer period, as during a whole 

 night, they were found dead in the morning. There was nothing 

 in the external structure of the insect that would have suggested 

 an aquatic habit had it been captured out of water. In those birds 

 that fly under water, as the black Guillemot and common Razorbill, 

 the wings are always very small in proportion to the size and weight 

 of the birds, and have consequently to be used with great rapidity 

 and without intermission when the animals are flying in the air. 



