En tomoloyical Society. 



8839 



pliilns hemipterns, which is frequently found in great numbers feeding upon figs; 

 both select a sweet and nourishing substance upon which to feed, both in the larval 

 and perfect condition. I hope on another occasion to give some account of the nest 

 in which the beetle was found, as my friend Mr. Woodbury proposes a thorough 

 investigation of it." 



Mr. Bates exhibited some South-American palm-nuts attacked by the larvae of 

 Caryoborus cardu, one of the Brucbidse, which had recently been received by 

 Mr. Cutter, of the Crystal Palace; specimens of the imago, of the larva in various 

 stages of growth, and of the nuts in corresponding stages of destruction, were shown ; 

 the nuts belonged to three species of palm, of which the largest was probably the 

 Maximiliana regia. A similar disappointment had occurred to Bonpland, who brought 

 over a number of nuts from New Granada, intending to plant them in France, but on 

 his' arrival the whole were found to be attacked by the larvae of Caryoborus curvipes. 



Mr. Cutter (who was present as a visitor) explained the circumstances under 

 which he had received the palm-nuts: 1000 specimens of each kind had been sent by 

 Mr. Henderson, of Para, and the consignment would have been worth £30, if not 

 attacked by the larvae, from which, however, scarcely a single nut was free, whilst 

 some contained as many as a dozen grubs. 



A letter from Mr. John Young, of No. 80, Guildford Street, addressed to the 

 Treasurer, was read, in which the writer complained of the presence of large swarms 

 of a small ant in the kitchen of his house, and enquired what means could be adopted 

 to rid the house of such a pest. 



Mr. Bates suggested a search for the nest, and when found to deluge it with hot 

 water. 



Prof. Westwood said that, many years ago, a Committee of the Society had 

 examined into this very subject, and the conclusion arrived at was that the most 

 efficacious plan was to make a careful search for the principal runs, and place therein 

 pieces of raw meat; these were quickly covered with ants, which might at once be put 

 into boiling water and destroyed, and the process then be repeated. 



Mr. Stainton gave the following account of the Entomological Proceedings of the 

 38th meeting of German Naturalists, held at Stettin, from the 18th to the 24th of 

 September last: — 



" Monday, September 21, 1863, under the Presidency of Herr von Kiesenwetter. 



" Director Loew exhibited his work on the European Trypetidae, and called 

 attention to the twenty-six photographic figures, which had been executed at the 

 Royal Printing Press at Vienna. 



" Dr. Kraatz, of Berlin, reduced Melolontha albida of Redtenbacher, from Austria, 

 and M. albida of Mulsaut, from France, as also M. candicans of Burmeister, by the 

 help of Grecian specimens, to the ordinary cockchafer {Melolontha vulgaris), and 

 showed that Greek female specimens were hardly to be distinguished, or were quite 

 undistinguishable from the Rhineland M. albida of Erichson (Rhenana, Bach), without, 

 however, being able with certainty to refer the last-named species to M. vulgaris as a 

 variety. The fourth German species, M. aceris, Erichson, was identical with the 

 M. albida of Bach, and must be called M. pectoralis of Germar. 



" Herr v. Kiesenwetter, in reference to the preceding and to the Darwinian theory, 

 suggested to entomologists that in no other branch of science did material stand so 

 ready to hand for making experiments in breeding by selection the commonest species 

 of insects. 



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