SOCIETIES. 117 



want of food, a specimen of j^the Phylliiim would eat portions of the 

 foliaceous expansions of its fellows, although the Phasmida. are 

 phytophagous insects. The resemblance to vegetable products reached 

 its maximum of development in the egg ; and Mons. Henneguy has 

 observed that when sections of the external envelope of the egg of 

 Phyllium are placed under the microscope no competent botanist would 

 hesitate to pronounce them to belong to the vegetable kingdom. Dr. 

 Sharp also stated that in some species of P/iasmidce it was easy to obtain 

 the egg by extraction from a dried specimen. Mr. Barrett exhibited, 

 for Major J. N. Still, a specimen of NoiodoJita bicoloria, which had been 

 captured in a wood near Exeter. Major Still had stated that the captor 

 of the specimen was unaware of the great rarity of the species. Mr. 

 Barrett also exhibited, for Mr. Sydney Webb, some remarkable varieties 

 o[ Argytinis adippe and CiBuonyiipha painphilits : also two specimens of 

 Apatura iris, and two of Liinenitis sybilla in which the white bands were 

 entirely absent. Mr. E. B. Poulton gave a lecture " On the denuda- 

 tion of the Scales in certain Species of Lepidoptera," and illustrated it 

 by a large number of photographs shown by means of the oxy-hydrogen 

 lantern. Mr. G. F. Hampson, Mr. Elwes and Mr. Poulton took part 

 in the discussion which ensued. 



April 27///, 1892. — Robert McLachlan, Esq., F.R.S., Treasurer, in 

 the chair. Mr. C. G. Barrett exhibited, for Mr. Sabine, varieties of the 

 following species : — viz. one of Papilio machaon, bred by Mr. S. Bailey, 

 at Wicken, in 1886; one of Argyunis lathonia, taken at Dover in Sep- 

 tember, 1883; one of A. euphrosyne, taken at Dover in iSgo; and one 

 of A. seleiie, taken at St. Osyth, in 1885, by Mr. W. H. Harwood. He 

 also exhibited a long series of Denias coryli, reared by Major Still 

 from larvce fed exclusively on beech, which he said appeared to be the 

 usual food of the species in Devonshire, instead of hazel or oak. Mr. 

 Barrett also exhibited, for ?\'Ir. Sydney Webb, a number of varieties of 

 Arge gacatea, Lasiommata megcera, Hipparchia iithoniis and Coitio- 

 nympha pamphilus, from the neighbourhood of Dover. The Rev. J. 

 Seymour St. John exhibited a variety of the female of Hybernia pro- 

 gemmaria, taken at Clapton in March last, in which the partially 

 developed wings were equally divided in point of colour, the base 

 being extremely dark and the outer portion of the wing very pale. The 

 Rev, Canon Fowler made some remarks on the subject of protective 

 resemblance ; he said his attention had been recently called to the fact 

 that certain species of Kallima apparently lose their protective habit in 

 some localities, and sit with their wings open, and that Dr. A. R. 

 Wallace had informed him that he had heard of a species of Kallima 

 sitting upside down on stalks, and thus, in another way, abandoning its 

 protective habits. Mr. W. L. Distant referred to certain species of 

 South African butterflies, which, when at rest, were protected by their 

 resemblance to the plants on which they reposed, or by their resem- 

 blance to the rocks on which they settled, but which frequently 

 abandoned their protective habit and sat with open wings. Mr. Barrett, 

 Mr. McLachlan, Mr. Jacoby, Mr. Champion, Mr. H. Goss, Canon 

 Fowler, and Mr. Frohawk continued the discussion. Mr. Goss in- 

 formed the meeting that, in pursuance of a resolution of the Council 

 passed in March last, he and Mr. Elwes had represented the Society 

 at the recent Government inquiry, as to the safety and suitability of the 



