MACALTSTER ON SOME LARVA CASES OF OIKETICUS. 129 



to the Bothriocephalus latus. It is fortunate that the patient's history 

 admits of a degree of ambiguity ; and, should any zealous naturalist 

 desire to monopolize the parentage of the Entozoon for the other side 

 of the Channel, I will offer no objection ; admitting they possess at least 

 one other example of its attacking the human being, and another less 

 decisive of its occurring in the lower animals, to support their demand. 

 I fear, however, the evidence afforded by the present case is too con- 

 clusive to permit our refusing it admission into the lists of the British 

 Fauna, though with a strong hope that it may continue conspicuous 

 amongst our native Entozoa by its exceptional rarity. 



E. M. Hodgson, Esq., 19, Garville-avenue, Eatbgar, was elected 

 an Ordinary Member of the Society. 



The Meeting then adjourned. 



THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1867. 



Eobert Callwell, M. E. I. A., President, in the chair. 



The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and confirmed. 



A paper was then read, entitled 



Notes on some Larva Cases from Australia. By Alexander 

 Macaltster, M. D., L.E. C S.I., Demonstrator of Anatomy, Eoyal 

 College of Surgeons, Ireland. 



I have recently obtained several rather rare specimens of insect archi- 

 tecture from Australia, some from Gipps Land, and some from Angaston, 

 in South Australia ; the former were sent to me by Hugh Macalister, 

 Esq., late of Omeo, the latter by Dr. Samuel Carey, of Adelaide. I have 

 found some little difficulty in identifying these habitations, but have 

 succeeded in almost every instance, with some assistance from Professor 

 "Westwood, of Oxford, who kindly helped me to a determination in a 

 doubtful case. I have scarcely any remains of the builders themselves, 

 but as in most of the cases they have been seen and described, this is 

 not so very important; and, therefore, in the subjoined remarks I will 

 confine myself entirely to the description of the dwellings, referring to 

 Professor Westwood' s paper* for further information regarding the ani- 

 mals. 



These, with one exception, are the constructions of creatures of the 

 genus Oiketicus, establish sd by the Eev. Landsdown Guilding for the 

 reception of two West Indian Insects, which he has named 0. Kirlyi, 

 and 0. Macleayi. To this genus Westwood refers one British insect, 

 0. nigricans, formerly described by Curtis, as belonging to the genus 



* " Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London," 1854. 



