19G PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1819. 



hibit a profusion of cocoons. In seeking for specimens of the 

 male moth, he had collected only three, in a walk along one side 

 of the square, from the railing, where hundreds of the wingless 

 females were to be obtained, as they rested with their foamy white 

 masses of eggs on their cocoons. From the fewness of the males 

 he was led to suspect that the females might, perhaps, in many 

 instances, deposit the eggs in an nnfecundated condition. To 

 ascertain if this were so, he collected several dozen cocoons with 

 pupae of females, distinguished by their comparatively robust 

 character, and placed them in a covered box in his study in the 

 third story of a back building, separated from the nearest place 

 where there were other cocoons by the front building and the 

 width of the street in front of his house. As the females came 

 out of the cocoons, distended with eggs, these, with the exception 

 of a few which appeared to be accidentally dropped in several in- 

 dividuals, were retained. After some days, as none of the females 

 laid their eggs, the box was uncovered, and on the second morning 

 subsequently, several individuals had deposited masses of eggs, 

 though no males were present in the box. However, on examin- 

 ing the vicinity, four male moths were detected on the outside of 

 the curtain of the window in which the box had been placed, from 

 which it was supposed that the females had been visited by males 

 attracted during the night from the neighborhood. 



The case related reminded him that some years ago a collector 

 of butterflies in the suburbs, informed him that he frequently ob- 

 tained male specimens of the Cecropiaand Luna moths by pinning 

 females to the side of the window, when, in the morning after, he 

 would almost certainly find males in conjunction with them. The 

 means by which the males thus find their mates at night and in 

 out-of-the-wajr places were not obvious, as the insects appear to 

 be incapable of producing sounds or scents that are appreciable 

 to our senses. 



J. M. Taylor was elected a member. 



Gustav Mayr, of Vienna, and C. Emery, of Palermo, were 

 elected correspondents. 



August 5. 

 The President, Dr. Rusciienberger, in the chair. 

 Sixteen persons present. 



August 12. 

 The President, Dr. Ruschenberger, in the chair. 

 Eighteen persons present. 



