18 



alluring, has not as yet received support from the researches of 

 other scientists. 



Mr. Jago illustrated his lecture by a series of beautiful draw- 

 ings, made of yeast in different stages of growth, and of the 

 organisms found associated with it. 



"Some Observations of Insect Life in Switzerland'" 

 Mr. F. Merrifield. 



Read November, Itth, 1886. 

 The author commenced by saying that there was a close con- 

 nexion between vegetable and insect life, and the points of 

 resemblance between England and the Continent of northern and 

 eastern France and Switzerland as to both were much stronger 

 than the points of difference. The main differences as to the 

 trees were the greater abundance of Walnut, Chestnut, and 

 Acacia, in shrubs the presence of the red-berried Elder and the 

 plentifulness of the Barbercy, and the coarser and stronger growth 

 of the grasses and herbaceous plants. Higher up one was struck 

 with the general absence of heath (except the common ling) and 

 the abundancy of Ehododendrons, Juniper, Whortleberries, and 

 Alders, giving a soft velvety look to the folds of the mountains. 

 Higher still, the blue Gentians, Arnicas, and orange Hawkweeds 

 were among the most striking of the flowers not found here. It 

 seemed to him perfectly suprising that an elevation of 9,000 or 

 10,000 feet, where the air was only two-thirds the density at the 

 sea level, should not make a greater difference in the character of 

 the animals which constantly breathed the air. He had seen 

 many insects common in the plains, flying over patches of sward 

 at great elevations — for example — V. Cardni, C. Hyale, Edusa, 

 and O. Chserophyllata. He suggested that the difference in the 

 density of the air might have some connexion with the fact 

 pointed out by H. Muller in a work recently reviewed by Mr. 

 F. Darwin in a volume of " Nature," viz., that butterflies which 

 had broad flapping wings became at great elevations much more 

 abundant compared with the small-winged Hymenoptera than in 



