25 



June 19. — ^I26th Ordinary Meeting when a paper upon "Insects and Insec- 

 tivorous IJirds," was read by Mr. Jenner Weir, F. L.S., F.Z.S. The lecturer 

 said that when the naturahst regarded the numerous birds ever on the alert to 

 devour, and occupying almost every station to which insects could retreat, the 

 wonder at first appeared great that any insect life could be perpetuated. The 

 swallow and swifts during the day, the goatsuckers at night, the fly catchers 

 in wooded district, the restless tits and creepers examinating the lower sides 

 of the branches of trees, the graceful and active wagtails by the sides of streams 

 and in the grass of the meadows, the wrynecks, the woodpeckers, the dippers, 

 the grebes, and many other insectivorous birds, to say nothing of such partially 

 insectivorous birds as the finches, thrushes, buntings, starlings, crows, and 

 many others being ever on the watch for their prey, it was clear that 

 uothing but the marvellous fecundity of insects, coupled with innumerable con- 

 trivances for their safety, enabled them to perpetuate themselves in so sharp 

 a struggle for existence. Among some of the modes in which this struggle is 

 successfully carried on might be noticed the protection afforded by the resem- 

 blance which the coloration of that part of the wing which was exposed when 

 the insect was at rest bore to its usual surrounding. Thus the underside of the 

 wings of the orange-tip butterfly closely resembled the blooms of the cow- 

 parsley on which it rests at night. Other genera resembled a dead oak-leaf, 

 the bark of trees, or lichen covered stone ; in fact in the coloration of a large 

 number of insects was to be seen this remarkable protective response to the 

 coloration of their environment. Moreover, the protective coloration of the same 

 insect sometimes varied according to its geological surroundings — e.g., one 

 British species on the South Downs resembled the light grey chalk in colour. 

 At the New Forest, on the peat, it was nearly black, and on limestone or 

 sandstone of an intermediate colour. Even where the imitative coloration was 

 replaced by very conspicuous marking, the protection was still afforded, the 

 lecturer having found by numerous carefully conducted experiments that such 

 larvae as those of the tortoise-shell or peacock butterflies, though conspicuous 

 in appearance, were distasteful to birds, and in their strongly marked individ- 

 uality and conspicuous appearance lay their safety. The result of his experi- 

 ments was the conclusion that all conspicuously colored spinous and hairy cater- 

 pillars were refused by birds, and on the contrary, all caterpillars which seek 

 concealment and are smooth skinned or, which had a coloration which assimi- 

 lated them to the plants they fed upon, were greedily devoured. In conclusion 

 the lecturer remarked that thanks to sy ste natists, natural history was daily 

 approaching nearer to completion, but nis audience must not suppose that when 

 every living thing had been described and named the occupation of the naturalist 

 had ceased, for, on the contrary, it was only when every species was well 

 known that the philosophical naturalist was able to efficiently work. Philo- 

 sophical Natural Science was in its infancy, and it was to be hoped that the 

 rising generation would not neglect so great a source of pleasure, combined 

 as this study was with elevation of the intellect. 



June 28. — Excursion to Hampstead which proved most successful both as 

 regards numbers and finds. 



July 3. — Soth Usual Gossip. 



July 25. — Excursion to Epping Forest kindly led by the Secretary of East 

 London Society; though few went, those who did were amply repaid by the 

 beauty of the forest and the numerous specimens collected. 



August y.^sist Usual Gossip, attendance small owing to many membefs 

 being out of town. 



