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PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 
King’s College, London, May 1 , 1878 . 
H. J. Slack, Esq., President, in the chair. 
The minutes of the preceding meeting were read, and were signed 
by the President. 
Professor Abbe, of Jena, was balloted for, and unanimously elected 
an Honorary Fellow of the Society. 
A list of donations to the Society was read, and the thanks of the 
meeting were voted to the donors. 
Mr. C. Stewart (Secretary) then read a paper “ On a new British 
Cheyletus,” by Mr. A. D. Michael. The paper was illustrated by care- 
fully executed drawings, and minutely described the structure and 
habits of the insect, which it was proposed to call Gheyletus flabellifer. 
The President, in proposing a vote of thanks to Mr. Michael, 
called attention to the very beautiful illustrations with which the 
paper was accompanied, and observed that he had himself found 
another species recently in the bark of cherry trees, which at the 
present time of year contained a large number of small insects, such 
as mites of various kinds, Chelifers, spiders, Podurae, &c. 
Dr. Braithwaite suggested the desirability of bringing forward 
such papers as the one which had just been read, and urged upon the 
Fellows generally that they should not content themselves by merely 
subscribing to the Society and attending the meetings : there was 
much to be done in the way of similar observation and descriptions. 
This family of the Acaridae, especially, opened up a wide field for 
investigation, and the same might be said of the Cryptogamia and 
other botanical subjects. Now that their new Journal was being 
started, it was very desirable that Fellows should encourage it by 
working out small monographs on various subjects similar to the one 
they had just heard. 
Mr. S. J. Mclntire, in reply to a question from the President, said 
that about twelve years ago he had given some attention to the sub- 
ject, and had then met with two species of Gheyletus, one of which was 
G. eruditus, and the other was thought not to have been before de- 
scribed. With regard to colour, he had at that time observed that 
a quantity of Cheyleti found behind a cage where some birds were 
kept, were of the same red colour as the bird mites upon which they 
had been feeding, and not of their usual orange colour. 
Mr. Stewart inquired if the red colour was diffused all over the 
insects, or whether it was merely seen through the course of the ali- 
mentary canal ? 
Mr. Mclntire said it was generally diffused, but when the insects 
had been feeding the darker course of the alimentary canal was clearly 
marked. 
The President inquired whether it was also the case with regard to 
mites as with spiders, that they would attack and eat one another up ? 
Mr. Mclntire said that, as a rule, any mite would eat up another 
which was not strong enough to defend itself. 
