23 



Entomological Society of London, May 2nd, 1864. — F.P. Pasco?, Esq., F.L.S., 

 President, in the Chair, 



The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Schofield, who was present as a 

 visitor, a male specimen of Hycb'illa palustris, which had been taken in Quy Fen, 

 Cambridgeshire, on the 29tb of May, 1862. 



Captain Cox exhibited some drawings of insects, and a classified table of 

 Lepidopterous larvae to facilitate the naming of any individual larva. 



Mr. Wallace exhibited a series of Butterflies, from Celebes and the adjoining 

 islands, as an instance of "variation as specially iniiuenced by locality." The pecu- 

 liarity in the specimens exhibited from Celebes consisted in the pecuHar curve of 

 the costa, and tendency to a falcate apex of the anterior wings, distinguishing them 

 very evidently from the most closely species from Java, Borneo, and Sumatra. 



The Butterflies exhibited were as follows : — 



Papilio Androcles. ") Papilio Macedon. ) P. Telephus. "i Erouia Tritoa. ) 

 „ Antiphates. ) „ Peranthus. ) „ Jason. ) „ Valeria. ) 



P. Gigon. ") Pieris Zerinda. ") P. Agamemnon. ") 



„ Demolion. J „ Nero. j „ Agamemnon var. j 



The first species in each pair being from Celebes, and that bracketed with it 

 the most nearly allied species from the other islands. 



Mr. Wallace observed that, of the seventeen Papilionidse occurring in Celebes, 

 all, except one species, differed in the more arched form of the costa from those of 

 the neighbouring islands. The same difference prevailed in nearly all the Pieridae, 

 and in a few of the Nymphalidas, but not in any other of the groups. 



Mr. Wallace suggested that this modification of the form of the wing either 

 by giving the insects a more powerful flight, or by enabling them to turn more 

 suddenly, was a means of escape from insectivorous birds ; and it was remarkable 

 that tills change had only taken place in those groups most liable to such persecu- 

 tion. Most of the Nymphalida?, which had such powerful muscles and strong flight 

 that they could have no difficulty in escaping from the pursuit of birds, were not so 

 modified, and those few of the Nymphalidaj which shewed this change belonged to 

 groups of species which were showy and rather weak in flight. 



The Danaidse, which were probably neglected by birds on account of their 

 powerful odour, had not undergone a similar modification in the form of the wings 

 and it was not a Utile remarkable that the only Papilio which retained in Celebes 

 the same form as in the adjoining islands belongs to the Polydorus group, wliich 

 must enjoy some special immunity from the attack of birds, being a group which 

 was itself the subject of mimicry by other groups. 



Professor Westwood exhibited nine species of Oho/raxes, three of which were 

 unique ; they had been collected at the Zambesi, by Mr. Rowley, of the Oxford and 

 Cambridge Mission. 



The Secretary then read a paper, by Captain Thos. Huttou, " on the reversion 

 and restoration of the silk worm." 



A wasp attacking and devov/ring larva. — Incidents, often pleasing, sometimes 

 annoying, always interesting, constantly occur to those who minutely observe Nature's 

 operations. Allow me to record one, showing to what numerous enemies young 



