438 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 
were used, not only for collecting the pollen, but also for 
carrying the grains of sand to the nests, which he observed 
them in the act of constructing on walls. 
New British Bayous. —Mr. Champion exhibited specimens 
of Bagous brevis, Schaum, taken in this country by Dr. 
Power, although not hitherto observed in Britain. Mr. Muller 
directed attention to an article in the last number of the 
‘ Petites Nouvelles,’ explaining a method of obtaining silk 
from cocoons which had been eaten through by the insects; 
and that the silk so obtained from the damaged cocoons was 
equal in quality to that obtained from the perfect cocoons, 
and did not require to be carded. 
Ants collected at Calcutta. —Mr. F. Smith exhibited a further 
collection of ants, sent by Mr. G. A. James Rothney, from 
Calcutta. They were collected by him in a very restricted 
area, principally in the Eden Gardens, Calcutta, between the 
months of June and October of last year. The specimens 
which Mr. Smith had been able to determine were thirty in 
number. There were nine new species, two of which belonged 
to new genera, and the collection contained several others, 
apparently new, requiring further examination. Mr. Smith 
directed attention to the fact that Mr. Rothney had very 
carefully collected the sexes of the different species, which 
was of the utmost importance to Science. Mr. Rothney had 
also, in a most liberal manner, allowed Mr. Smith to select 
a complete series of specimens for the British Museum. 
Connected with Mr. Rothney’s collection were also three 
examples of what appeared to be the ant, Sima rufonigrum, 
placed side by side ; but on close examination one of them 
was found to be a spider of the genus Salticus, having its 
anterior legs purposely removed, causing it to present a 
striking resemblance to the ant, which, like it, inhabits trees. 
Hybernated Antiopa. —Mr. Stevens remarked that a hyber- 
nated specimen of Vanessa Antiopa had been seen on 
Sunday last in a church at Redhill. 
Arceocerus coffece at Basle. —Mr. Albert Muller communi¬ 
cated the following note. “On the 29th of September, 1862, 
while attentively watching the unpacking of some freshly- 
imported bags of Java coffee, in a warehouse at Basle, a very 
lively specimen of this beetle came tumbling out of one of 
the bags. I secured it, and kept it alive for some days. In 
a letter, dated the 14th of March, 1873, which I have just 
