REPORTS OP MEETINGS. 499 



from cases collected from the same trees, it was suggested that 

 probably both forms were in reality only one species ; and, that in 

 fact, what had previously been known in England as Solenolia 

 Pomonoe was, in reality, only an apterous form of the female of 

 Xymastodoma melanella. 



This startling theory naturally caused great surprise at the time 

 among Microlepidopterists ; but, although more than six years have 

 since elapsed, no one has, so far, attempted any explanation of the 

 facts contained in Mr. Harding's paper until quite lately, when 

 Mr. Boyd, of Cheshunt, has taken ^the matter in hand. This 

 gentleman has kindly forwarded to me a paper on the subject which 

 he has prepared for publication in the next number of the magazine, 

 in which paper I think he has quite proved that the two forms are 

 not of the same species. 



The apterous females belong to a species of Solenobia which is 

 at present only known in that form ; they emerge from cases 

 differing from those of X. melanella, and in emerging leave their 

 pupa skins inside the case which they never entirely forsake during 

 their short lives, resting generally with their long ovipostors 

 concealed in the mouths of their larva cases. 



Both sexes of X. melanella on the other hand, not only emerge 

 from their cases, but draw out their pupa skins with them, the 

 wings of the female being as fully developed as those of the male 

 but rather narrower. 



Cases and images of both forms were exhibited from Mr. Boyd. 



Mr. Harding in reply said, the subject brought forward by 

 Mr. Hudd was one surrounded by difficulties, and that much could 

 be said on both sides of the question. He had long been aware 

 that some of the cases were more or less three sided, while others, 

 even cone shaped, and even if it was conceded that the more 

 angular cases always produced the winged form, while the more 

 cone shaped ones produced the apterous female, still nothing could 

 be proved conclusively from this — the great difference in the forms 

 to be produced would quite explain the slight differences in the 

 cases. 



