Entomological Society. 4599 



Proceedings of Societies. 

 Entomological Society. 

 January 1, 1855. — Edward Newman, Esq., President, in the chair. 



Donations. 



The following donations were announced, and thanks ordered to be given to 

 the donors: — The 'Zoologist' for January; by the Editor. The 'Athenaeum' for 

 December; by the Editor. The ' Literary Gazette' for December; by the Editor. 

 The 'Journal of the Society of Arts' for December; by the Society. ' Entomolo- 

 gische Zeitung' for November and December; 'Linnaea Entomologica,' 9 Baud ; all 

 by the Entomological Society of Stettin. Hewitson's 'Exotic Butterflies,' Parts 12 

 and 13; by W. Wilson Saunders, Esq. 'Transactions of the Linnean Society,' Vol. 

 xxi. Part 3; 'Proceedings of the Linnean Society,' Nos. 52 — 58; ' List of the Lin- 

 nean Society, 1854;' 'Address of T. Bell, Esq., President of the Linnean Society, 

 at the Anniversary, May 24th, 1854 ;' all by the Linnean Society. ' Proceedings of 

 the Literary and Philosophical Society of Liverpool,' 1853 — 4 ; by the Society. * The 

 Entomologist's Annual for 1855;' by the Editor, H. T. Stainton, Esq. 



. Exhibitions. 



Mr. Douglas exhibited a living specimen of Cratonychus castanipes, Payk., one 

 of the Elateridae, which he found a few days since in the centre of a large mass of 

 rotten wood thoroughly permeated with fungoid matter, which he dug out of an old 

 oak stump, and within which it lay in an oval cell, at one end of which were seen the 

 pellicles of the larva and pupa. This species, kindly determined by Mr. Janson, has 

 not hitherto been recorded as British, though it probably exists in most collections 

 mixed with Melanotus fulvipes, which it greatly resembles. 



Mr. Stevens exhibited a fine specimen of the male of Jumnos Ruckeri, from Dar- 

 jeeling, and a fine female of Dicranocephala Wallichii, from Iudia ; both beetles out 

 of the same collection. 



Silk Felt produced by Saturnia Pavonia-media. 



The President exhibited a specimen of silk produced at Vienna by the larvae of 

 Saturnia Pavonia-media called in Germany " Schwartzdornspinner: '' he had received 

 it through the kindness of Herr Pretsch, from whom he learned that a series of most 

 interesting experiments were now in progress, the object being to obtain, from the la- 

 bours of this insect, a silken felt impervious to water. The larva? were confined sepa- 

 rately in polished receptacles, from which there was no escape, and which presented 

 no salient points that the cocoons could possibly be attached to, so that the whole 

 stock of silk was exhausted on the smooth surface, and could afterwards be removed 

 at pleasure. As the space allotted to each caterpillar was large and the stock of silk 

 small, the coating was very thin, as in the specimen exhibited, but the felt was readily 

 increased in substance by introducing a second and then a third larva, each of which 

 readily worked on the felt manufactured by its predecessor. He did not know to 

 what extent the experiments have hitherto been carried, but he believed they promised 

 perfect success. 



