SOCIETIES. 141 



larva — apparentl)' of a Bonibyx — brought from Celebes by Dr. 

 Hickson, and made remarks on the urticating properties of the 

 hairs of the species, which were said by the natives to produce 

 symptoms similar to those of erysipelas if the larva was handled. 

 Lord Walsingham, Mr. M'Lachlan, Dr. F. A. Dixey, Mr. Jenner 

 Weir, Dr. Sharp, Mr. Slater, and Mr. Poulton took part in a 

 discussion as to whether urtication was due to the mechanical 

 -action of the hairs in the skin, or to the presence of formic acid, 

 or some other irritant poison in glands at the base of the hairs. 

 There appeared to be no doubt that in some species the irritation 

 caused by liandling them was merely due to the mechanical action 

 of the hairs. Mr. P. Crowley exhibited a collection of Lepi- 

 doptera recently received from West Africa, including specimens 

 of several new or undescribed species of Mylothris, Diadema, 

 Harma, Rhomaleosoma, &c. Mr. H. Goss reported the capture 

 by Mr. G. D. Tait, at Oporto, in September last, of a specimen 

 of Anosia plexippiis, and remarked that, although some twenty 

 specimens had been caught in the South of England, only two 

 specimens had been previously recorded from the continent of 

 Europe. Lord Walsingham read a paper entitled " A Revision 

 of the genera Acroloplms (Poey) and Anaphora (Clem.)"; and he 

 exhibited about twenty new species of these and allied genera. 

 Mr. Stainton made some remarks on the genus Anaphora, and 

 said he was glad Lord. Walsingham was working at it and its 

 allies. The paper waS further discussed b}' Mr. M'Lachlan, 

 Mr. Champion, and Dr. Sharp. Mr. Poulton read " Notes in 

 1880 on Lepidopterous Larvse, &c." In tlie discussion which 

 ensued, Lord Walsingham referred at some length to instances 

 of protective resemblance in larvae, and alluded to the existence 

 in certain species, especiallj' of the genus MeliUea, of prothoracic 

 ghmds. Further instances of protective resemblance were cited 

 by Mr. Jenner Weir. Dr. F. A. Dixey remarked on the extra- 

 ordinary powers of contraction which appeared to be possessed 

 by the retractor muscle of the flagellum in D. vinula, and 

 enquired whether any corresponding peculiarities of minute 

 structure had been observed in it. The discussion was con- 

 tinued by Mr. Gervase Matliew, Mr. W. White, Dr. Sharp, 

 Mr. Porritt, and others. — H. Goss, Hon. Sec. 



The South London Entomological and Natural History 

 Society.— .1/rtrc/i 2Uh, 1887. R. Adkin, Esq., F.E.S., President, 



