6254 



EnloiHological Society. 



insects. The list may be not unworthy the notice of the Members, and its publication 

 may encourage youthful entomologists to persevere, and ascend from collecting to 



Vanessa Lavinia 

 Anarla latrophae 

 „ Amalthea 

 Heterochroa Cytherea 

 Argynnis Hegesia ? 

 Didonis Biblis 



Polyommatus and three or four 

 Hesperiae. 



Beetles. 



Phanseas Jasius (very common) 



„ principalis 

 Cyclocephala melanocephala ? " 



Mr. Tegetmeier observed it was generally believed that pollen was only used as 

 food for the larvae of bees, and not by the perfect insects; he had, however, frequently 

 observed bees on the alighting-board of a hive, especially in dull weather, eating the 

 pollen from the legs of their companions as they arrived. He had continued the 

 experiments detailed by him at the July Meeting of the Society, with a view of 

 ascertaining the cause of the hexagonal form of the cells of the hive bee, and found 

 that when excavating in a solid mass of wax they always formed cylinders, but on the 

 sides of the cells approximating they invariably became hexagonal ; he considered 

 therefore that the hexagonal form resulted simply from the cells being constructed with 

 a view to the greatest economy of space, and not from any predetermined plan on the 

 part of the bees. 



Mr. Lubbock remarked that Mr. Darwin had made similar experiments to those 

 described by Mr. Tegetmeier, with precisely the same results. 



Mr. Smith maintained the assertions made by him at the July Meeting that in 

 wasps' nests the ceils are constructed of an hexagonal form, and do not acquire it from 

 compression or any other cause. He exhibited the nest formed by the female of Vespa 

 vulgaris in the spring, as sufficient proof that the hexagonal form was not caused by 

 two insects working at the same time at the formation of adjoining cells, as had been 

 suggested to be the cause with bees ; he also exhibited nests of a South American spe- 

 cies of Polybia, and of Icaria guttatipennis, in which he observed the outside cells 

 were as angular as those in the centre of the layers of comb, thus proving that the 

 hexagonal form could not, in these instances, result from lateral pressure. 



Dr. Gray observed that the theory of lateral pressure certainly was not applicable 

 to the cells of wasps, as they are constructed of a material, which when once hardened 

 never alters its form. 



Mr. Downie exhibited a small observatory hive of his own invention, fixed on the 

 top of the stock hive, and a hive, constructed by him, with an improved mode of 

 ventilation. — E. S. 



observing transformations : — 



Papilio Thoas 



„ Poly dam as 

 Heliconia Halia 

 Evides Dianasa 

 Mechanitis Lysimnia 

 Agraulis Vanillce 



„ Julia 

 Danais Gilippus 



„ Archippus 

 Terias tenella 



„ Man a 

 C alii dry as Eubule 

 Ageronia Ferentina 



