THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 85 



had often found the result of observations in the field at 

 variance with the result of breeding the same species in con- 

 finement ; species the females of which, from their retiring 

 and secluded habits, were seldom caught, whilst the males 

 were common, had, when eggs or larvae were obtained, pro- 

 duced twice as many females as males. 



Mr. M'Lachlan said that Mr. Darwin had recently put two 

 queries to him. Do male dragon-flies fight with one another t 

 and. Do many or several males follow one female ? He 

 confessed his inability to answer with certainly either of these 

 apparently simple questions. 



March 2, 1868.— H.W. Bates, Esq., President, in the chair. 



Mr. G. A. Lebour, of the Geological Survey Office, and 

 Captain A. F. Lendy, of Sunbury, were severally ballotted 

 for, and elected Members. 



Mr. T. W. Wood mentioned that he had once opened a 

 pupa of Sphinx Ligustri, and found that the haustellum was 

 2^ times as long as its case, within which it lay double 

 throughout the entire length of the case and in a triple fold 

 for half its length. 



With reference to the numerical disproportion of the sexes 

 of insects, Mr. Stainton mentioned that since the previous 

 Meeting he had inquired the results of the experience of Mr. 

 Doubleday and Mr. HcUins in breeding Micro-Lepidoplera. 

 Mr. Doubleday thought that males were generally more 

 numerous than females, and did not remember a single 

 instance in which he had met with an excess of females. Mr. 

 Hellins, on the other hand, reported that he had usually- 

 found females more numerous than males. 



Mr. Stainton added that Mr. Darwin would be glad to, 

 receive rephes to the following further inquiries: — (1), 

 whether sexual attraction or fascination was exercised in the- 

 same manner by butterflies which have the wings gaily orna- 

 mented on the under side and by those which liave dark 

 under sides, as e. g. by Argynnis and Vanessa; (2), whether: 

 any and what moths were more brightly coloured in the male 

 than in the female sex ; and (3), whether any and what 

 molhs were more conspiculously coloured on the under sido 

 than on the upper side of the wings. (In reply to the third 

 query, Nr. Wormald mentioned the genus Hypopyra). Mr^ 



