XXU MONTHLY PROCEEDINGS 



Luperus varipes Lee. — Berkeley, Gala. ; on Teucrium ; (Rivers). 



TycMus lineellus Lee. — Berkeley, Cala. ; on Lupinus ; (Rivers). 



Rhyncolus angularis Leo. — Berkeley, Cala. In decayed wood of buck- 

 eye, also on Teucrium ; (Rivers). 



Micracis aculeatus Lee. — Washington, D. C. ; in willow twigs ; (Hike). 



Thysavoes n. sp. — Washington, D. C. ; in oak twigs ; (-Ulke). 



Dr. LeConte also mentioned an extraordinary change of color dependent 

 on emotion or nervous excitement, which he had observed in some living 

 specimens of Coptocycla aurichakea, which he had recently received from 

 Dr. M. Groldsmith, Rutland, Vt., by whom they were found perforating 

 holes in the leaves of Ipomaea. The specimens not only varied greatly 

 in color, some having the elytral disc black with golden spots, while in 

 others (var. pallida), the whole disc was golden, but when frightened, 

 the gold color disappeared completely, and the insects assumed the same 

 dull reddish-yellow which they have when preserved in collections. In 

 recovering their metallic color they passed through various grades of 

 bluish-pearl and violet, until they again became bright golden. This 

 phenomenon, which so far as Dr. LeConte knew, had not been hereto- 

 fore recorded, and to which his attention has been called by Dr. Gold- 

 smith, is a very singular one, and deserves the careful observation of 

 microscopists. 



Dr. Goldsmith has also observed that the difference between these two 

 reputed distinct species is sexual, the guttata form having a black disc 

 with golden spots being the S , very similar to C guttata. 



He placed one of the spotted individuals under a glass with two of 

 those having a uniformly disc. After a short time amatory relations 

 were established between the former and one of the latter. What 

 occurred subsequently is thus narrated : 



" Mr. spotted-hack forthwith became of a greenish-gold, and Mrs. 

 pallida a yellowish-gold. The other Miss lost her beauty and became 

 the dingy thing she is on wash days. I uncovered the vessel and some- 

 what rudely disturbed their beatitude, and immediately Mr. and Mrs. 

 both assumed their ordinary wash day clothes. The fact is, gold and 

 jet are the colors of the male when undisturbed, greenish-gold in 

 copula, and dingy when disturbed. Both when recovering from fright 

 become at first a beautiful glistening purplish mother-of-pearl, then the 

 male gold and jet, and the female gold." 



These interesting observations may serve to diminish the very large 

 number of nominal species in the books. 



