XXlll 



June 5, 1878. 



H. W. Bates, F.L.S., F.Z.S., President, in the chair. 



Donations to the Library were announced, and thanks voted to the 

 donors. 



Exhibitions, dc. 



Mr. John A. Finzi exhibited a remarkable female specimen of AntJwcharis 

 cardamines, taken in Darenth Wood, Kent. Tlie under side only of one 

 fore wing possessed an orange patch. 



Mr. F. Grut exhibited a specimen of an immature Mygale from South 

 Africa. 



Mr. D. Greig Rutherford exhibited a series of large cocoons sent by 

 Mr. George Thomson from Mount Camaroons, West Africa, formed by the 

 caterpillars of a species of Bombyx allied to Anaphe Panda, Bdv. They 

 were taken at an elevation of 5000 feet above the level of the sea, and 

 judging from the nature of certain twigs and pieces of native cord fastened 

 to their exterior covering appeared to have been found attached to fences or 

 to the eaves of houses. The cocoons are light brown in colour and very 

 irregular in shape, rather flattish, and vary in diameter from four to seven 

 inches. Each cocoon contains from 130 to 150 separate cocoons, each 

 enclosing a larva or a chrysalis in various stages of development, the least 

 mature being near the centre of the aggregate mass. To some of the 

 cocoons were attached a case containing what appeared to be the larva of 

 some species of ichneumon or dipterous parasite. All the smaller cocoons 

 are firmly bound together by layers of a coarse silken material, this aggre- 

 gation being enveloped by a thin brown lining almost of the consistency of 

 parchment, the whole forming a compact mass, which again is surrounded 

 by a loose silken tissue, while a strong covering of the same material envelops 

 the whole. From this it would appear that A. Panda, like some other 

 species of BombycidcB, is social, and that the caterpillars unite in considerable 

 numbers in order to form an aggregate cocoon of sufficient strength to 

 preserve the chrysalis from the attacks of enemies, and probably also against 

 extreme changes of temperature. 



Mr. M'Lachlan pointed out the dipterous or hymeuopterous nature of 

 the larvae found in the cases attached to the small interior cocoons, and 

 which were found to be living at the time of exhibition. 



Mr. Wood-Mason stated that lie had taken such larvae from Orthoptera 

 and from caterpillars. 



Mr. H. T. Stainton stated that the two small ermine moths [Hypono- 

 meuta padella and //. evonyinella) of this country were distinguished from 

 one another by the fact that the larvae of one species spin up gregariously in 



