SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 227 



melanoleucos), taken from a specimen in the Albany Museum, Grahamstown, 

 in which the female was shown " walled in." 



A communication was read from Sir Edward Newton relating to the 

 reported discovery of Dodo's bones in Mauritius in 1885, by the late 

 Mr. Caldwell. It appeared that there had been some error in the matter, 

 and that the bones discovered were not those of the Dodo. 



Mr. Sclater pointed out the characters of a new Toucan of the genus 

 Pteroglossus from the Upper Amazons, proposed to be called P. didymus. 



Mr. R. Lydekker read a paper describing some bird-remains from the 

 cavern-deposits of Malta. These remains indicated a Vulture larger than 

 any existing species, which, from the characters of the cervical vertebrae, 

 he referred to the genus Gyps, under the name of G. melitensis. They 

 also comprised some bones of a Crane, of the size of Grus anligone, for 

 which the name Grus melitensis was proposed. 



Dr. Hans Gadow gave an account of some cases of the modification of 

 certain organs in mammals and birds which seemed to be illustrations of 

 the inheritance of acquired characters. — P. L. Sclater, Secretary. 



Entomological Society of London. 



May 7, 1890. — Capt. Henry J. Elwes, F.L.S., Vice-President, in 

 the chair. 



Messrs. W. G. Blatch, F. J. S. Chatterton, Charles Fenn, and George 

 B. Routledge were elected Fellows ; and Mr. A. E. Stearns was admitted 

 into the Society. 



The Secretary read a letter from the Vicar of Arundel, asking for 

 advice as to the course to be taken to get rid of the larvae of a beetle which 

 were destroying the beams of the Parish Church. Mr. C. 0. Waterhouse 

 said he had already been consulted on the question, and had advised that 

 the beams should be soaked with paraffin oil. 



Dr. Sharp exhibited specimens of Caryoborus lacerda, a species of 

 Bruchida, and the nuts from which they had been reared. He stated that 

 three of these nuts had been sent him from Bahia by the late Senor Lacerda, 

 about six years ago ; that one of the beetles had effected its exit from the 

 ! nut during the voyage ; a second had recently emerged, after the nuts had 

 been in this country for five years ; and that a third had undergone its 

 metamorphosis and died within the nut. Dr. Sharp also exhibited several 

 specimens of Diptera collected by Mr. Herbert Smith in St. Vincent, and 

 read a letter from him to Mr. Godman on the subject of the vast number 

 of species of this order which he had recently collected in that island. 

 Mr. M'Lachlan, Dr. Mason, Mr. Waterhouse, and Capt. Elwes took part 

 in the discussion which ensued. 



