59 



at my disposal for that purpose, and one of the important sub- 

 divisions of the order — Nemocera (mosquitoes, craneflies, etc.) — is 

 hardly represented at all. In addition to the examples shown, I 

 have made an attempt to group together specimens illustrating 

 various types of colour and pattern, ranging from the simple tinged 

 or darkened wing to the completely patterned surface of the Trypetid 

 group. It will be seen that these types vary and combine among 

 themselves, and it is also to be noticed that it is the excepti.m rather 

 than the rule for one particular form of pattern to be confined to 

 one family. In consequence but little use can be made of wing 

 pattern in classification of the various genera, except in the case of 

 the Try/n'tida, where all the species have more or less definitely 

 patterned wings. These wing patterns and colours seem all to be 

 of a pigmental character, and I believe the only case of scale pat- 

 terning occurs in certain species of mosquitoes, and that these get 

 rubbed off soon after emergence. The colours seem confined to 

 black, brown, and yellow, and in one family {Dolichnpodidtc) the 

 extreme tip of the otherwise darkened outer margin of the wing is 

 white. Certain flies mimic species of other orders, notably Hymen- 

 optera, but in these cases the wing pattern usually plays a secondary 

 part to the shape and coloration of the body of the insect. Sexual 

 variation in wing colour seems very scarce, and is usually confined 

 to a darkening or tinting of the wings of the males, while the 

 females have the typical clear wings. A comparison of the wing 

 markings of Diptera with those of other normally clear-winged 

 Orders should form an interesting subject for study." 



Mr. Coppeard exhibited livmg specimens of the Palmated Newt, 

 Mohje jHihnata, and its eggs. This was said to be a more widely 

 distributed species than was commonly supposed, and was really 

 the " common " newt ; Moh/e vidijaris, the so-called Common Newt, 

 being more restricted to the south-eastern area of Britain. 



Mr. Priske exhibited series of the shell of Helix vin/ata from 

 various localities, including Deal, Box Hill, Torquay, Tenby, etc. 

 From the last place he showed white examples ab. fnihaperta. He 

 also showed the red form (ab. rnfa) of the slug Arinn ater. 



Mr. With}Combe exhibited a cultivated plant of the Butterwort, 

 PiiitjKicHla (inuuUflora, and pointed out one leaf with the margin 

 curled over an insect. He stated that insects were captured by the 

 plant by means of a viscous fluid secreted by mushroom-shaped 

 glands developed on the upper surface of the leaves. The presence 

 of an insect causes the leaf margin to curl gradually inwards and 



