Mr. M'Lachlan suggested that the branched hairs might serve the double 

 purpose of assisting in the collection of pollen, and also of interlocking the 

 hairs of the bees together so as to preserve pubescence. 



Mr. Saunders stated that plumose hairs were found also among the 

 burrowing species of Crustacea ; but if this character were for the purpose 

 of keeping the bees clean from sand, &c., one would have expected to find 

 it in the PompUida, and in the species of Fossores which burrow just as 

 much as the Anthophila. 



Mr. A. G. Butler read a paper " On the Natural AfFniities of the 

 Lepidopterous Family Mgeriida;" in which he showed that the structural 

 characters of these insects presented no resemblance to the SplumjidcR, 

 with which they had hitherto been allied ; but that they were more related, 

 on the one hand, to the Pyrales, and on the other to the Gelechudce. 



Mr. M'Lachlan pointed out that the effect of this arrangement would 

 be to place between the Sphingidce and the /EgeriidcB the whole of the 

 Bombyces, Geometrce and Noctua, and part of the Pyrales. 



Mr. Jenner Weir stated that he perfectly agreed with Mr. Butler's 

 conclusion as to the want of affinity between the ^geriidm and Sphingida. 



The President remarked that an argument in favour of Mr. Butler's 

 view was to be found in the fact that nearly the whole of the jEgenidce had 

 been made to depart from their congeners in appearance through the action 

 of mimicry, their narrow transparent wings having been modified in 

 imitation of various Hymenopterous insects. 



Mr. Peter Cameron communicated a paper " On some new Genera and 

 Species of Tenthredinida;." 



The Secretary read a paper by Mr. A. H. Swinton entitled " The Biology 

 of Insecta, as determined by the Emotions." The author had collected a 

 large number of observations showing the various means by which insects 

 express fear, love, rivalry, &c. The present paper dealt chiefly with cases 

 of simple muscular contractions and secretions. 



Mr. J. W. Slater suggested that the red secretion of Timarcha might 

 possibly be found to owe its colour to alizarine derived from its food-plant. 



The President requested that authors would communicate the titles of 

 their papers to the Secretary at least twelve days before the meeting at 

 which they are to be read, in order that advertisements might be inserted in 

 the proper journals. 



Copies of Professor Westwood's ' Address delivered at the Anniversary 

 Meeting,' on January 16th, were on the table, for distribution among the 

 Members. 



