4108 Radiata. — Entomological Society. 



Occurrence of the Rosy Feather Star (Comatula rosacea) §-c. at Weymouth. — On 

 Saturday, the 3rd of this month, my dredgers brought me a specimen of the rosy fea- 

 ther star {Comatula rosacea). I carefully compared it with Forbes's description, and 

 was not surprised at finding I had nothing to add. Mine had but seven arms, and the 

 colour consisted of blotches of reddish brown and of white. It was caught attached 

 to a stone, which was dredged in Weymouth Bay ; I did not disturb it, as I had to 

 send it to the Zoological Society, in whose vivarium at the Regent's Park it now is. 

 I have also heard of their having been caught off the Devonshire coast. Among the 

 many rarities which the Society have lately placed in their vivarium, may be men- 

 tioned Muller's top-knot, Jago's goldsinny, and the cork-wing, all from Weymouth. — 

 William Thompson ; Weymouth, September 7, 1853. 



Proceedings of the Entomological Society. 



October 3, 1853. — Edward Newman, Esq., President, in the chair. 



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

 donors : — The ' Zoologist ' for October ; by the Editor. The ' Athenaeum ' for Sep- 

 tember ; by the Editor. The ' Literary Gazette ' for September ; by the Editor. The 

 ' Journal of the Society of Arts ' for September ; by the Society. Hewitson's ' Exotic 

 Butterflies,' part 8 ; by W. W. Saunders, Esq. ' Entomologische Zeitung,' June to 

 September ; by the Entomological Society of Stettin. ' Versuch die Europaischen 

 Spanner von J. Lederer,' Wein, 1853, and ' Lepidoplera Microptera qua? J. A. Wahl- 

 bergin Caffrorum terra collect, descripsit P. C. Zeller,' Stockholm, 1853 ; by Profes- 

 sor Zeller, Hon. M.E.S. ' Proceedings of the Berwickshire Naturalists' Club,' 1852 ; 

 by the Club. 



Dr. Lankester exhibited some of the " flies " recorded in the public papers to have 

 appeared in vast numbers at Newcastle during the prevalence of the cholera in that 

 town last month : and read the following extract from a letter written by a gentleman 

 residing at Newcastle, respecting them : — 



" They appeared some days before the cholera broke out with such virulence. For 

 many days we had a dense heavy atmosphere, very depressing to the spirits ; and the 

 flies came in such swarms as only to be compared to the time when God filled the 

 land of Egypt with a grievous swarm of flies. They appear to be only creatures of a 

 day, those of yesterday die off and are replaced by others, and in the morning I find 

 thousands of them dead." 



On examination by the President, these " flies" were found to be Aphides, of two 

 or three species * which feed on a great variety of plants. These Aphides have no 

 local connexion with Newcastle ; but at this season of the year the usual migration of 

 the winged females occurs, often in immense swarms. The hot, moist, stagnant at- 

 mosphere, observed to be concomitant with the appearance of cholera, would probably 

 favour their development, and would certainly cause them to be more noticed ; for 

 such frail creatures could not move about in windy weather. 



* Mr. Walker has since pronounced them to be mostly Aphis Rumicis. 



