134 THE COTTAGE GARDENER. November 21. 
tlie jumping cocoons observed by Reaumur, and Kirby 
] and Spence, were those of Bruchidae, or Weevils, and 
not of one of the Ichneumonidae, as be was able to state 
was certainly tbe case, having succeeded in rearing a 
species of Oampoplex, allied to G. Maialis, from a banded 
cocoon of an oval form, which had leaped about like a 
ball of India-rubber. He bad, however, further stated, 
that it was his opinion that the jumping seeds might pro¬ 
duce Bruchidae (itbeingthe ordinary habit of tbe species 
of tbe latter family to live on seeds). A considerable 
discussion took place as to tbe means by which these 
seeds were rendered capable of leaping; and Mr. West- 
wood stated, that since the last Meeting he bad 
examined a number of them which had been observed 
to leap, and that each contained a small Lepidopterous 
larva, probably that of one of the Tortricidcc, allied to 
Carpocapsa. He bad likewise received a single speci¬ 
men of a small Ichneumonideous insect, which had been 
reared from one of tbe seeds, and which was, doubtless, 
a parasite upon the Tortrix-larva. 
Mr. Curtis exhibited a species of Gall Ely, which he 
believed to be new to this country {Gynips quercuspetioli 
of Linnams) , which be had received from Mr. Wallcott, 
who had reared it from the round gall found on the 
young stems of Oaks near Clifton Hot-wells. Mr. Rich 
also exhibited several Oak-branches, bearing a number 
of these galls, from the neighbourhood of Bristol. They 
closely resembled, in size and appearance, the galls of 
commerce, from which ink is made; and he bad 
ascertained that they contaiued a strong black dye, and 
he thought they ought to be rendered serviceable as a 
new article of commerce. It was remarkable, that the 
trees upon which they were produced were destitute of 
acorns, the galls taking the place of the latter upon tho 
stems. Messrs. Smith and Stainton stated that they 
had noticed that species of gall in former seasons, 
although Mr. Curtis thought they had never been seen 
before, and that the Gynips was a new importation. 
Mr. Westwood, however, stated that he recorded the 
occurrence of the species, some time since, in the 
Gardeners’ Chronicle. 
Mr. S. Stevens exhibited a species of Weevil, new to 
this country, captured by Mr. Foxcroft, in Perthshire, 
i It is the Otiorhynchus septentrionis of Herbst; likewise 
I a number of rare and beautiful insects from Natal, 
collected by Mr. Plant, including the splendid Goliatlius 
Derbyanus, Tefflus Delegorguei, some rare butterflies, &c.; 
also a minute two-winged fly, Phora urhana, which was 
j stated to have been discharged from the nostrils of a 
| person who had for some time been suffering from a 
j disease of the nostrils. 
Mr. Stainton exhibited a new British Elachista 
i reared by Mr. Logan, which was proposed to be named, 
E. triseriatella; likewise a new Limaethis, reared from 
! the Parietaria by Mr. Harding. 
Mr. Westwood mentioned, that Mr. Gould bad com¬ 
municated to him a specimen of the common ground 
Beetle Helobia brevicollis, which bad been observed by 
that gentleman to be luminous in the dark, the light 
; which it emitted being, in fact, the means by which it 
had been captured. He considered that this luminous 
property was probably owing to the insect having fed | 
either upon decaying animal matter, or upon the 
Geophilus electricus, which emits a light at this season 
of the year. 
Mr. Baly read a paper containing the description of 
a number of new species of Australian Glirysomelidcc. 
The Secretary announced that a new part of the 
“ Transactions,” containing four plates, was ready for 
delivery to the Members, and that, since the last 
Meeting, the Society had received a donation of a fine 
series of Perthshire insects from Mr. Foxcroft; and 
also various publications from the Royal Society, the 
Society of Arts, the Boston Society of Natural History, 
the Smithsonian Institute of America, the Entomological 
Society of Stettin, M. Guerin-Meneville, &c. 
The Reigate Poultry Association transfers its Meet¬ 
ing for the present year to Brighton, where it is to begin 
on Tuesday, the 21st instant, and to continue through 
the two following days. 
Among the regulations, we should specially direct 
attention to the fourth and fifth; tbe first of which 
announces, that “Chicken of 1854 may be shown in 
the classes for fowls of any age, at the option of the 
exhibitor.” To rescind a rule now sanctioned, for 
obvious reasons, by all tbe leading Poultry Societies, 
and by nine-tenths of the remainder, is a bold step, to 
be justified only by some manifest advantage, of which, 
in this instance, we are certainly not aware. This 
competition of birds exceeding one year with those 
beneath that age, is, in some respects, unfavourable to 
both; aud if, as is always likely to happen, such a 
permission induces the owners of the more promising 
chicken to show them among the adult specimens, 
the juvenile class must suffer grievously, and tho prizes, 
consequently, will not be bestowed on the most deserving 
pens. The fifth rule proceeds to state, that “ the com¬ 
petition for prizes will be strictly confined to persons, J 
not being dealers, residing within the three counties | 
of Sussex, Kent, and Surrey.” Our objections to any 
limitation whatever, as regards exhibitors, were main¬ 
tained in our report of the Meeting of this Society, 
in 1853 ; and although the boundaries are now enlarged, 
we cannot but consider all such restrictions as most 
impolitic. 
The regulations conclude with a notification, that “ the 
entries will be limited to 400 pens, not including the 
Pigeons; and that the services of three competent 
Judges will be engaged.” As the former provision may 
be supposed to intimate the space at the disposal of the 
Committee; the example may be beneficially followed 
by other similar Societies ; and with tbe latter assurance, 
all concerned must be well pleased. 
Turning to the prize list, we observe, that in several 
classes, premiums are offered for the best single cock 
bird. A resolution so advantageous to intending pur¬ 
chasers, and so entirely in accordance with the principles 
of Poultry Associations, demands all encouragement; and 
