43: THE AUSTRALIAN’ NATURALIST. 
os rae ES ed a a ee ee me 
watch... ore tr : ’ 
We were privileged to see the first lot of West Australian’ 
bred parasites hatched out. The larve, though exposed to 
view by division of the fruit, lay perfectly quiescent until in 
some inexplicable way they became aware of the near approach 
of their minute foes, when they suddenly roused to activity, 
twisting and whirling and rolling over in futile endeavour to 
avert assault, but the Ichneumon’s attack was direct, and fixing 
herself firmly upon her selected prey, she curved her abdomen 
and struck home with her ovipositor as she laid her eggs deep 
in the body of the hapless maggot, which was thus doomed to 
afford food and lodging for his very unwelcome guests. Nor is 
it a single guest only that he is forced to entertain, for as many 
as thirty-six parasites have been counted emerging from a 
single pupa. i 
_Mr. Compere has introduced two other Ichneumons of some- 
what larger size, but these limit their laying to one egg in each 
maggot selected, and consequently their reproduction is not so 
rapid as the species above referred to.’ 
with ‘an alacrity and. intensity of purpose very interesting to 
* NOTES AND COMMENTS. : 
CLUB ADDRESS.—Will members please note that in 
future the’ official address of the N.S.W. Naturalists’ Club 
will be 300 George Street, Sydney, and not Box 1216, G-.P.O., 
as heretofore ? 
Nature Porrs.—Tke Council has decided to put aside an 
- evening during the next quarter for the study of Nature 
poetry. English literature is full of beautiful thoughts upon 
many subjects, dear to the hearts of naturalists; and in this 
direction, numerous references are to be found in Australian 
verse. Members of the Club are invited to prepare’ short 
papers; with poetic quotations, and those who are willing are 
requested to communicate with the Secretary. Can some of 
~ our country members assist ? F 
Linon Fatrmarre.—The death is announced, at the advanced 
age of 8§, of the great French entomologist, Léon Fairmaire. 
His first paper, which. was published in 1848, was entitled 
'“ Description de trois nouvelles espéces de Coléoptéres’ de 
TOcéanie,” and his last “ Coléoptéres nouveaux de Madagascar, 
faisant partie des collections du Muséum.” Altogether from 
1843 to 1906 no less than 449 scientific memoirs were catalogued 
to his credit. Hyen during the troublesome and exciting period 
‘of 1870 Fairmaire found time to make additions to entomolo- 
_ gical literature. Some of these memoirs are, of course, brief, 
_ but others take the dignity of monographs. Fairmaire was the 
' descendant ofan English family named Farmer. FER'ER 
