20 
X. Hamana, X. Badiana, &c., common at the Lizard; Catoptria Citrana, one 
specimen at Lizard; Argyrolepia Francillana, Pterophorus Pheodactylus, abun- 
dant on Rest-harrow, in the Frying-pan, Cadgwith ; P. Zithodactylus, not rare, 
near Boscastle. 
“©One word, that by way of advice, and I have done. If any of you wish to 
spend a few weeks of summer, in the calm enjoyment of the pure delights which 
Nature yields, in a spot where, happily for you, respectability does not yet stalk 
undisguised, let me commend to you Boscastle. I can express no more pleasant 
anticipations for years to come, than meeting some of you there, when at the 
hostelry, yclept the Wellington, we will drink, first to the health of the College, 
and then to the health of the College Natural History Society ! 
39 persons were present. 
MEETING HELD DECEMBER 2nd. 
Exhibitions :—Zasiocampa Quercus, Sphinx Convolvult, Orgyia 
antigua, by W. ¥. WELLS. 
Auditors of the secretary’s accounts were elected. 
W. F. WELLS, after reading two papers from Science Gossip, on 
“Moth ’Sembling” and “The Attractive Power of Female Moths,” 
spoke on his own experiences. 
“In the end of June I obtained a larva of the Oak Eggar, and when the 
moth emerged from the chrysalis it proved to be a female ; but, as Iwas travelling 
at the time, when the box was opened, the moth was found dead. Three weeks 
after this, while I was at Weston-super-Mare, I thought I would try my hand 
at Moth ’Sembling with this female. Oak Eggars were plentiful in the woods ; 
and after placing the box on the ground, in the course of an hour, a friend and 
myself caught seventeen. Now, I have heard the theory propounded, that 
Moth ’Sembling will only be successful under two conditions,—(1) that the 
Moth should be a live virgin female ; (2) that it should be just fresh from the 
chrysalis. I believe this is the generally received opinion. I however attracted 
male Oak Eggars with a female which had been dead more than ¢hree weeks. 
In the papers I have just read, several theories were started to account for the 
attractive power of female moths. In my case those of sight, and the peculiar 
odour emitted, will not hold good ; for the males came flying over the tops of 
the trees and the female was dead. I shall not attempt to solve the problem ;— 
perhaps some who hear this can enlighten me.” 
Mr. OrcHARD communicated a long paper on “Geology,” with 
a view to stir up some members to pursue that branch of Science.* 
S. BuLLER read the following paper on “Dew.” 
‘The formation of Dew is one of the most absolutely necessary parts of the 
economy of Nature. Without it our lands would be parched up in the summer, 
and cease to give fruit ; grass would cease to grow; cattle would die for want 
of food ; and man would die for want of meat and vegetables. In fact, the 
whole order of Nature would be overthrown, and her laws broken. 
“After a long, dry, sunny day, when the earth seems one mass of brick, 
during the droughts and heats of summer, what could we do? How could 
anything survive without the refreshing dew of the night? And here we see a 
beautiful example of the general theory, that Nature is supplied from Nature’s 
* Mr. Orchard’s paper was too general to be here inserted. Had it treated, as we should 
have wished, of the Cheltenham district, we should have had great pleasure in printing it. 
We hope he will favour us with the paper on this subject early next term..—Eds. 
