( 807 ) 
PKOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY, 
Meeting of 9th October, 1878, at King’s College, Strand, W.C. 
The President (H. J. Slack, Esq.) in the chair. 
The Minutes of the meeting of 5th June were read and con- 
firmed, and were signed by the President. 
A list of the Donations since the last meeting was submitted 
and the thanks of the Society given to the donors. 
The President said they had the pleasure of seeing amongst them 
that evening Professor Owen, who was their first President, and who 
had come to read a paper which he had sent to the Society. 
The President said they would no doubt all remember that some 
time ago, Mr. Mclntire presented to the Society a slide of the per- 
forating proboscis of a moth, and in connection with it they would 
also remember that reference was made to a paper in ‘ Comptes 
Kendus ’ which described at some length a moth which possessed a 
similar perforating organ, and was reported as doing damage to 
oranges. A few days ago, he had received from Mr. Green of Colombo, 
through Mr. Curties, a specimen of a moth which was also able to 
perforate oranges in a similar manner, and it was described as hanging 
on to the fruit by means of the proboscis whilst it sucked the juice. 
On examining this proboscis, he found that it differed somewhat from 
those which had been described, in that it possessed a peculiarity which 
he hoped Mr. Green would work out. It seemed that the proboscis 
was armed with a series of cutting hooks, having cutting edges on both 
sides, thus enabling the insect to cut its way out as well as to cut a way 
into the fruit. At the base of these hooks or spikes was an organ 
which looked as if it might be a ball-and-socket joint, and the spike 
appeared to pass down to its attachment with this through a counter- 
sunk orifice, which enabled the spike to move through a large angle, and 
when extended would of course assist the creature to hang on in the 
manner described. He hoped that the attention of those of their 
friends who might be living in orange-growing districts, would be 
called to the matter with a view to ascertain if there were any other 
moths of this kind to be found, which might form an intermediate 
link between the two kinds already observed, and which presented 
very distinctive characters. 
Figures in illustration of his remarks were drawn upon the black- 
board by the President as he proceeded. 
Professor Owen, C.B., F.R.S., &c , then read a paper “ On the 
Fossils called ‘ Granicones,’ being a contribution to the Histology of 
the Exo-skeleton in Eeptilia,” illustrating the subject by a number 
of drawings, and by sections exhibited under a microscope (the paper 
will be found printed in extenso at p. 233). 
