3524 Entomological Society. 



Hope of the facts now stated, for Platychile pallida, which occurred there, had a si- 

 milar structure to these Megacephalae, and probably similar habits. 



Mr. Dougles read the following note, being the substance of an article in the An- 

 nates de la Societe Entomologique de France,' 1851, p. 323, by M. le Colonel Goureau, 

 entitled " Note pour servir a l'Histoire de la Sericoris antiquana, DupP 



" In the neighbourhood of Cherbourg, the farmers give the name of ' the hermit ' 

 to a larva which is found in the roots of Stachys arvensis, into which it bores a longi- 

 tudinal gallery, acquiring at the same time food and shelter. Usually there is only 

 one larva in a root, but sometimes two are found, at some distance from each other. 



" On the 1st of December, 1849, I first had an opportunity of examining the roots 

 of Stachys arvensis. On cutting them longitudinally, I found some quite entire, some 

 fistulous throughout, and others pierced with a gallery nearly cylindrical in form, ex- 

 tending almost the whole length of the root, and containing a larva which moved quick- 

 ly, either forwards or backwards, to that part of its tube which was not opened. The 

 larva of this moth is very sensitive to the air and light, and when the end of its habi- 

 tation has been cut off, it immediately closes the aperture with a silken covering. 



" On the 21st of Feburary, 1850, and the 28th of May following, I examined fresh 

 roots of Stachys arvensis, in which I found very few of these larvae. Those of the lat- 

 ter date presented two round reddish spots, resembling slight bruises, on the seventh 

 or eighth segment. To succeed in rearing these larvae it is necessary to keep the roots 

 in damp earth, or they will wither, and the larvae perish. They change to pupae within 

 their gallery, and the moth appears at the beginning of July. 



" Sericoris antiquana, Dwp. 

 " Orthotaenia antiquana, Guen. 



"Larva — Cylindrical, of an uniform livid white; head chestnut-brown, the jaws 

 and labrum blackish brown ; some hairs on the head and segments of the body ; legs 

 white." 



The President read a Memoir on some new Lamellicorn Coleoptera, supplemen- 

 tary to his Memoir on the family published in the 4th volume of the Society's 'Trans- 

 actions.' 



The Secretary read the following letter : — 



" Colegio del Espiritu Santo, 



" Bogota, Nueva Granada, 



"April 1, 1852. 

 "Sir, 



" I forwarded to you a butterfly a few days ago, for the Society. It is 

 considered rare in this country, and it occurred to me that your Museum might not 

 contain a specimen. T suppose it is of the genus Morpho. 



" I am considering the best and easiest method of preserving wood from the attacks 

 of Termites. I should imagine that Kyan's or BethelPs process would succeed, and 

 am not aware that either has been used for such purpose. Truly grateful should I be 

 to any Member of the Society who would give me an opinion on this subject. 



" I am, Sir, yours obediently, 



" Thomas Jones Stevens. 



