THK RESTING HABIT OF IXSFCTS. 



temperate or more Northern latitudes, and involving complex physio- 

 logical changes. The habits of bears in tropical or sub-tropical regions 

 would possibly be worth enquiring into, as to whether any tendency 

 to resting habits analogous to hybernation exists. Recurring again to 

 Dr. Dixey's criticism upon my position in regard to the inheritance of 

 acquired characters, it really matters little whether the opinions of a 

 mere student like myself have the sanction of Mr. Herbert Spencer's 

 authority, or of those who follow the hypotheses advanced by Prof. 

 Weismann and others, so long as the very abstruse subjects under their 

 discussion remain undisposed of. Until the issue is decided, the dicta 

 of neither can be gratuitously assumed as canons of biological faith. 

 j\Ieanwhile, students of morphology may talk of the apparent 

 phenomena of acquired habits and instincts without discussing the 

 metaphysics of their phyletic origin. And lastly, as to the real subject 

 matter of Mr. Tutt's interesting article, namely, whether the " resting 

 habit " of hybernation is referable to the periods of quiescence 

 exhibited by the protozoa, I would wish to point out to Dr. Dixey 

 that, so far from denying the capacity of protoplasm to allow such 

 adaptations, I commenced by postulating that " all the phenomena of 

 life are ultimately referable to the jDotentialities of protoplasm." This, 

 however, is very different from stating positively, as Dr. Dixey does, 

 that " the ultimate origin of the habit " (not merely the ability of 

 acquiring it), "is no doubt to be sought for in the capacity for rest 

 possessed by all protoplasm." Dr. Riding very truly points out the 

 difference between the habit of sleep, which is a physiological necessity, 

 and that of hybernation ; but, although the capacities of protoplasm per- 

 mit of both one and the other, we do not seem by that admission to get a step 

 nearer to the origin of the specialised hybernating habit in a relatively 

 small number of the existing animals. The same capacity also allows of 

 the endurance of long periods of functional cessation due to other 

 causes, such as catalepsy, etc., without fatal results supervening; but 

 to suggest that the habits of sleep, hybernation, aestivation, etc., were 

 evolved by transmission from primitive forms of protozoa and metazoa, 

 is a proposition which requires fuller knowledge of the phyletic evolution 

 of existing forms than is at present available, to my mind. Dr. Dixey 

 further on, however, takes lower ground, namely, that the "capability 

 of protoplasm gives the requisite material for natural selection to work 

 upon," etc., a thesis with which probably most people will agree. 



The Genus Dianthoecia. 



A discussion on the genus Dianthoecia took place at the meeting of 

 the South London Entomological Society on March 12th last. It was 

 opened by Mr. C. G. Barrett, who briefly touched on three points, 

 which he considered to be of interest. These were : — (1) The probable 

 specific identity of Diantlutfcia capsopliila and TK carpujihana. (2) His 

 disbelief in the British authenticity of 1>. cunipta, (3) His belief that 

 D. banrttii was a specialised tovm oi Lujierina luteaiju. His arguments 

 were as follows : — ■ 



The probable specific identity of Dianthcecia capsophila and 

 D. cARPOPHAGA. — A few years ago Mr. W. H. Blandford captured, on 

 the coast of Pembrokeshire, a large number of the larviP of a 1 dianthoecia, 

 which produced imagines, that were, in Mr, Barrett's opinion, inter- 



