1897.] 165 



and the three published figures of these were materially different from each other. 

 A comparison of the scries exhibited showed the two species to be abundantly dis- 

 tinct. Mr. Kirkaldy, fifty specimens of Notonecta glauca, Linn., to show the 

 extreme range in size and colour of this widely-distributed species. The discussion 

 on Mimicry and Homoeochromatism in Butterflies was then resumed by Dr. Dixey, 

 who replied to the comments of Prof. Poulton and Mr. Blandford on his paper. He 

 did not regard the phenomenon of reciprocal convergence as necessarily a demon- 

 strable feature in Miillerian mimicry; it was merely potential. With respect to 

 mimet'c Pieridcv, he did not consider that they were invariably protected, but that, 

 in certain cases, they were shown to be so by the indications of convergence 

 exhibited by the models. Mr. Elwes thought, from his personal experiments as a 

 collector, that there was too much assumption about both the Batesian and Miil- 

 lerian theories. In many supposed cases ho doubted whether the so-called models 

 were protected by taste or smell. He had previously referred to the extraordinary 

 superficial resemblance between two Fieridce found in the high Andes of Bolivia, and 

 two others found at similar elevations in Ladak, and was inclined to think that; 

 similar conditions of environment produced similar effects. Mr. J. J. Walker, Sir 

 George Hampson, and Col. Yerbury gave evidence, from personal experience in the 

 Tropics, as to the extreme rarity of butterfly-destruction by birds. The President 

 admitted its rarity in Africa, but stated that he had seen birds, especially the Drongo 

 shrike, chasing butterflies. Mr. Blandford called attention to a recent paper by 

 M. Piepers, who, as the result of twenty-eight years' observation in the Malay 

 region, had seen four instances only of butterflies, two of which belonged to the 

 " protected " genus Euplcea, being attacked by birds, and had been driven to the 

 conclusion that the phenomena of mimicry had nothing to do with natural selection. 

 Papers were communicated by the Rev. F. D. Morice, on " New or little known 

 SphegidcB from Egypt ;" and by Prof. A. R. Grote, on " Changes in the Structure of 

 the Wing of Butterflies." A Special Meeting was then held at which the proposed 

 amendments and additions to the Society's bye-laws were adopted. — W. F. H. 

 Blandford and F. Meerifield, Hon. Secretaries. 



OBSERVATIONS ON COCCIDJS (No. 16). 



BY R. NEWSTEAD, F.E.S., 



CURATOR OF THE GROSVENOR MUSEUM, CHESTER. 



The following observations apply chiefly to a small, but remarkable, 

 collection of Coccidcs found associated with ants in various parts 

 of the world, which were kindly sent to me by E. Wasmann, of 

 Exaeten, near Koermond, Netherlands, early in the spring of 1896. 

 Yery little can be said of the external coverings of the insects, as 

 they were all preserved in spirit. 



TTLOCOCCIJS, n. g. 



? adult with a series of large, projecting, marginal tubercles ; anal tubercles 

 large. Anal ring and antennae as in Dactylopius. 



