222 [September, 



nexa, Hb. Mr. C. B. Williams, a specimen of the male Megalothrii^s nohilis, 

 Bagnall, from Wicken Fen, taken April 11th, 1912. This is the largest 

 Eiiropean species and, since first taken by Dr. Sharp in 1894, has not been 

 recorded. Mr. S. A. Neave, some of the Tabanidae collected during his recent 

 tour in East Africa. He called attention to the male individuals exhibited, 

 and expressed the opinion that their rarity in collections was perhaps due to 

 the fact that they were short-lived. Mr. G. A. K. Marshall observed that 

 probably many of the Fellows present would hardly realise the importance of 

 Mr. Neave's exhibit. Even amongst the English Tabanidse by no means all the 

 males were known, and this sex was hitherto unknown in the large majority of the 

 species then exhibited. Mr. E. M. Prideaiix brought for exhibition seventeen 

 ova of G. rhamni found in a ckister at Brasted Chart, on April 28th, on a shoot of 

 Rhamnusfrangula. Professor Poulton said that he had long beenstrnck, especially 

 in tlie collections of butterflies received from Uganda and British East Africa, 

 with the immense development of mimicry in Lepidoptera from the forest as 

 compared with the open country. He read notes bearing on the subject from 

 Messrs. C. A. Wiggins, F. J. Jackson, and C. F. M. Swynnei-ton. He also readnotes 

 on a few observations which supported the conclusion that birds possessed the 

 extraordinarily acute and far-reaching vision reqiiired by the Batesian and 

 Mtillerian theories of Mimicry. He fru'ther called attention to a statement 

 received in a letter from Mr. W. A. Lamborn, dated March 22nd, 1912: — 

 " Neptidopsis would I am sure outnumber all the species of Neptis put together 

 at any season." Mr. S. A. Neave said with reference to the prevalence of 

 insectivorous birds in Uganda, that he had recently had an interesting experi- 

 ence near Entebbe. On January 12th, 1912, at Gabunga's, near Entebbe, he 

 had watched a wagtail, most probably Motacilla capensis, catching butterflies on 

 a small patch of damp sand in the bed of a forest stream. In less than half-an- 

 hour this bird captiired and ate ] 9 butterflies and failed to catch many others. 

 The butterflies eaten were nearly all small Lycsenidx. 



The following paper was read : — " On the colour groups of the Hawaiian 

 Wasps," by Dr. E. C. L. Perkins, M.A., D.Sc, F.Z.S., F.E.S. In illustration of 

 the paper. Prof. Poulton exhibited the specimens referred to by Dr. Perkins. 

 The Colour-groups were arranged in the order of the islands, from Kauai in the 

 N.W. to Hawaii in the S.E. 



Wednesday, June 5th, 1912. — The Rev. F. D. Moricb, M.A., President, 

 in the Chair. 



Mr. Henry Francis Carter, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University 

 of Liverpool, was elected a Fellow of the Society. 



The President announced that it was requested that for the fviture the 

 names of intending exhibitors should be handed in at the beginning of the 

 meeting, in order that they might be called upon from the Chair. 



The Eev. G. Wheeler read the Eeport of the Committee on Nomenclature .- — 



" The present independent and irresponsible methods of giving and adopting 

 names having resulted in much unnecessary synonymy, and even graver abuses. 



