( xxxiv ) 



Marshall's opinion, however, P. antilojie and P. cuama are 

 two dissimilar dry forms and simia and trimeni two dissimilar 

 wet forms of a single species. It is much to be hoped that 

 the point will soon be settled by breeding. 



Mr. Marshall is to be warmly congratulated on this third 

 South African species of the genus Precis, in which he has 

 produced incontrovertible evidence of the specific identity 

 of forms widely separated in colours, patterns, shape, relation 

 of upper- to under-side, etc., and even instinct, including 

 the selection of a particular type of country. 



The President also showed a small series of ants, part of 

 a much larger collection made by the late W, J. Burchell in 

 Brazil between the years 1825 and 1830. They were obtained 

 with his other vast zoological and botanical collections at Rio 

 or its neighbourhood, or in the course of the long journey from 

 Santos to Para. Considering their great age the specimens 

 were wonderfully well preserved and are accompanied by 

 remarkably exact and detailed data, and, in many cases, 

 interesting notes on habits, instincts, etc. Hardly anything 

 in the whole of the zoological material, all of which was pre- 

 sented by Miss Anna Burchell to tlie University of Oxford 

 in 1865, has as yet been published. Arrangements were now 

 being made to ensure that these interesting results may, with 

 as little delay as possible, be given to the scientific world. 



The President then gave a summary of his paper on the 

 effect of lichen-covered bark, etc., upon certain Lepidopterous 

 larvse. He explained that these results were now being 

 brought forward about ten years after the experiments had 

 been begun. The delay was to be explained by the dis- 

 organization of the library and papers of the Hope Department 

 dui'ing the building operations in 1894. As a result the notes 

 of the Professor and Mr. Holland, as w^ell as the beautiful 

 water-colour drawings made by Mr. P. J. Bayzand, were mis- 

 laid, and when everything necessary had been recovered the 

 press of other woi'k for a time prevented this memoir from 

 being undertaken. 



The chief object of the investigation was to test the efliciency 

 of lichen-covered bark as a stimulus for the production of a 

 lichen-like appeai-ance in certain larvjs. It was found that 



