a species supposed to belong to the genus Gastropacha, Opslrhina feroens, 

 Wlk., and Anapaa (Oxleyl, Newm.)^ The first-named species, which is 

 said to be rather rare, forms a tough green silken cocoon. The OpsirJiina 

 was captured on October 25th, 1878, and laid eggs which hatched twenty 

 days afterwards: the caterpillar (full-grown?) "is about Scinches long, 

 with a curious horn on its head," and appears abundantly only every few 

 years: it spins a cocoon of white silk. The caterpillar of the AnajJcea 

 (specimens of which, preserved in spirit, were exhibited) is described as 

 being, when alive, of " a bright emerald-green, with red and pink markings 

 on the back, and yellow, black and white streaks on the sides. They have 

 no abdominal legs, but a sort of soft adhesive cushion by which they crawl 

 and adhere to things." They are further stated by Mr. Francis to possess 

 "a set of four little battlements of darts, which, when quiescent, lie fiat 

 down, but when the insect is irritated they stand up and are pushed forcibly 

 against anything that approaches them, and they sting just like a nettle." 

 The male larva is smaller than the female, the latter growing to about an 

 inch in length, while the former does not exceed five-eighths of an inch, 

 and possesses all the brilliant colours, the female having no red markings, 

 but only white, yellow and green, with a little black. They appear about 

 the middle of August on the Mallu gums, make their cocoons in four or 

 five weeks, and the moths emerge in January : they open the top of the 

 cocoon by cutting a circular orifice. The little cocoons, being very hard, are 

 used as whistles by the country children. The moths are not very common 

 near Adelaide, but are met with on the hills abundantly. 



Dr. Wallace, after examining the cocoon of the Gastropacha, stated that 

 it looked very promising as a source of silk. 



Mr. Meldola pointed out, with regard to the Anapcea, that this insect, 

 according to Mr. Francis's statement, displayed the remarkable and 

 exceptional character of sexual difference of colour and marking in the 

 larval condition. 



Mr. M'Lachlan read the following note, extracted from a letter, dated 

 April, received from his nephew, Mr. W. J. Wilson, Assistant Engineer, 

 P.W.D., located on the Anapshahr Branch of the Ganges Canal, near 

 Meerut : — 



" We have had an enormous flight of locusts here. I have seen them 

 several times before, but never in such numbers, and they have unfortunately 

 chosen this as their breeding ground. They appeared early last month, 

 and covered a tract of country about fifteen miles long by two or three miles 

 in breadth, and move gradually northwards up the Anapshahr Branch. 

 They laid their eggs all over the place, and these hatched in large numbers 

 before the end of the month, the ground being now covered with little black 

 larvae about three-eighths of an inch long. They cannot iiy, and now is 

 the only chance of destro}iug them. The plan which has, I believe, been 



