Page:The Zoologist, 3rd series, vol 1 (1877).djvu/334

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308
THE ZOOLOGIST.
*Psylla peregrina, Först. On mountain ash, Perth, August.
Psylla costalis, Flor. On larch, Edinburgh, August.
Psylla spartiophila, Först. On broom, Plumstead, June.
Psylla simulans, Först., and *P. pyricola, Först. On pear trees, Perth and Roslyn, August.
Psylla cratægi, Först. On pear trees, Roslyn, August.
Psylla *Scotti, Löw. On fir trees, Addington Hills, October.
Psylla hippophaës, Först. On Hippophaë rhamnoides, Folkestone, August.
Trioza urticæ, Linn., T. hæmotodes, Först., and T. albiventris, Först. On fir trees, Addington Hills, October.
Trioza Walkeri, Först. On buckthorn, Dartford, October.
Aphalara polygoni, Först. On Rumex acetosella, Sevenoaks, July; and on fir trees, Addington Hills, October.

In all sixteen species of Psyllidæ taken by him during the latter half of 1876, whereof four (*) are new to Britain. Mr. Douglas called attention to the wide field the Psyllidæ offered for the discovery of new species and observation of economy, the variety in the latter being very great, some species rolling or deforming leaves, some exuding a waxy secretion, and others living free. The natural history of many species is quite unknown, and the rearing of any from the egg or larva to the perfect state was commended to the attention of entomologists, especially of those who have reared Lepidoptera, as being equally interesting with insects of that order, and furnishing an area for investigation as yet but little occupied.

Mr. F. Grut exhibited a white downy nest from Jamaica, supposed to be produced by some insect.

Mr. H. Goss exhibited a dark variety of Cleora glabraria.

Mr. C.O. Waterhouse exhibited a new species of dragon-fly from Borneo, belonging to the genus Gynacantha, which he proposed to call G. plagiata. It differed from all its congeners, not only in its great size, but in the unusual colouring of the wings, which were hyaline, with the whole anterior border as far as the stigma broadly margined with pitchy brown, and with a large patch of the same colour, only darker, across each wing near the apex; this patch on the hind wings extended a little along the posterior border. The total expanse of the wings was 6½ inches; the length of the posterior wing, 3⅛ inches. The specimen was a female.

The Secretary read a circular from Dr. Buchanan White, of Perth, asking entomologists to assist him with specimens of Hemiptera (especially exotic), as he was engaged in working out that order of insects.

Dr. Sharp communicated a note on the classification of the Rhynchophorous series of Coleoptera.

Mr. J.W. Slater communicated a paper, "On the Food of Gaily-coloured Caterpillars," in which he attempted to show that brightly-coloured larvæ generally fed on plants which were poisonous.