Radiata, S^c. 



6069 



attacks directly the weather gets warm. The solicitude recently evinced for the welfare 

 of ants seems to me to be very singular. Water-beetles are taken out of their element 

 by hundreds, moths are attracted to sugar and sacrificed by thousands, nay, whole 

 broods of caterpillars are reared from the eggs, only that they may furnish " fine speci- 

 mens" for collections, and not a word is said. But these sepoys of ants, the terror of 

 all other insects, whose haunts and homes are strewed with the mangled remains of 

 their victims, are selected and recommended to our special care and attention ; why, it 

 would be difficult to state, unless the sympathy for them be of that morbid kind which 

 is exercised towards the greatest offenders. Certainly there is nothing in the manners 

 of these ants to give them a preference in our affections over all other insects, and if 

 it is wrong to hurt or disturb them, what may not other insects so remorselessly hunted 

 complain of? But, gentlemen, be consoled: it is not necessary to do more than to 

 take up and examine the loose bits of stick at the outside of the nest. I said before 

 that my Jirst handful was the best, and I have proved that the most of the beetles are 

 to be obtained from the loose matter which the ants have carried up, and which it can 

 do no harm to remove and replace. At this second search I took all the species I got 

 on the first occasion, except the Othius, and in addition 



Quedius brevis ....... 3 



Monotoma angusticollis 3 



„ conicicollis 3 



—Id. 



Note on Holothuria. — In 1856 (Zuol. 5181) I noticed that a Holothuria {Pentacta 

 pentactes)^ in my possession, had voluntarily thrown off its tentacles, and did not 

 appear to be incommoded by the loss. I have now the pleasure of adding that a new 

 set of tentacles are forming, and that they have begun to bud out, pale and tender, to 

 the extent of one-eighth of an inch. Reproductions of this kind are now so commonly 

 known to occur that they are scarcely worth recording, unless, as in the present 

 instance, one is able to give positive periods of time. I have notes of many other 

 similar cases as occurring in my practice among other creatures. The water in the 

 great glass jar, containing the Holothuria, has not been changed during the whole 

 period. — W, Alford Lloyd ; 19 and 20, Portland Road^ Regent's Park^ London^ W,y 

 April 5, 1858. 



Remarks on the Sale of the Entomological Society's Exotic Collection ; a Letter 

 addressed to the Presiden t, 



Oatlands. 



Dear Dr. Gray, 



I address you, as President of the Entomological Society, myself 

 ignorant whether or not you had any hand in the somewhat remarkable proceeding 

 which has just taken place. I ask you to use your influence with the Society to 

 mitigate, as far as yet may be, — in one instance at least, — a wrong which they have 

 done to all those who have contributed to their collection. I ask you to make over 

 to the children of the late Mr. Stevens, of Bogota, whatever sum the collections which 



