Entomological Society. 



6545 



and dark-coloured, and the whole insect has the appearance of an elongated wire- 

 worm. He had received it from Mr. Mitford, who had found it to be carnivorous 

 feeding on the pupa? of Aleucis pictaria. It has also been found to have destroyed 

 several pupae of the Sphinx Ligustri. No previous indication of its carnivorous habits 

 had been recorded nor had the peculiar structure of the abdominal segments beeu 

 previously described. 



M r. Westwood also exhibited three species of insects recently received by him from 

 Mr. Neitner at Ramboddo, in Ceylon, which have been found by that gentleman to 

 be injurious to the coffee plantations. These consist of a species of Coccidae 

 (Lecunium Cojfece) the scales of which infest the leaves in immense numbers; 

 a minute.moth, which Mr. Stainton thinks is referrible to the genus Gracilaria, and 

 distinct from the Klachista coffeella of Guerin, which appears to belong to the genus 

 Bucculatrix ; the larvae of this little moth mine the leaves of the coffee, as do also 

 the larvae of the third insect, a minute species of Muscidae, which Mr. Haliday, 

 to whom it had been referred, regards as belonging to the genus Agromyza. 



Mr. Westwood also exhibited various insects which had been found to be injurious 

 to books, in the Bodleian Library, where a careful hunt after book-worms is now 

 going on. In addition to small cockroaches and Lepismae (generally dead and 

 crushed) two, if not three species of Anobium (A. striatum and A. panieeum), and 

 their larvae were more commonly found ; the latter gnawing the interior of the 

 bindings as well as perforating the leaves. He considered that the larvae might be 

 destroyed by placing the infected volumes in a large close box in which a small 

 quantity of benzine collas had been dropped. 



He also exhibited an insect which he had received some time previously from Mr. 

 Backhouse, of Gateshead, as a gigantic flea, and which he had exhibited to the 

 Society on the 4th of May, 1857 (without, however, having previously had an oppor- 

 tunity of carefully examining it), and for which he then suggested the name of Pulex 

 Imperator. He had, however, recently examined the insect more minutely, and had 

 ascertained that it was a very young larva of a Blatta, much distorted by being crushed 

 flat in rather an oblique position, and with most of the limbs broken off. A small por- 

 tion of the base of one of the mulliannular antennae was visible in such a situation 

 as to seem like a part of the mouth, but on microscopically examining it, as well as 

 the portions of the legs still remaining, it became evident that the insect was not a flea, 

 and on dissecting the mouth, its true character was at once detected. 



Captain Cox exhibited some beautiful drawings of the larvae of Lepidoptera, 

 including those of Carcocapsa saltatans, Westw^ Phlogophora empyrea, Nyssia hispi- 

 daria, &c. 



Mr. Stevens exhibited, on behalf of Signer De Tivoli, some larvae of Lepidoptera, 

 spiders and other insects, preserved by having been immersed in a chemical solution 

 which had the effect of hardening them ; in some instances the form and colour were 

 well preserved. 



Mr. Gorham exhibited a specimen of Tachyusa concolor, recently found by him at 

 Chelsea Waterworks. 



Mr.Janson called attention to the recently pnblished Catalogue of European Cole- 

 optera, by Dr. Schaum, in which were many modifications and alterations, amongst 

 which he might mention the Strepsiptera being included in it as a family of Cole- 

 optera. 



XVII. 2 H 



