XXIX 



Lycorea (with Danais) frona Thyridia and the reraaimler of the Ithomia 

 group ; the characters mentioned by him only went to prove that liana 

 and Lycorea were tlie connecting links between Danais and the IthomiiB, 

 thus justif^'ing the views of those Lepidopterists who first defined 

 this important group nearly twenty years ago. With regard to the still 

 incompletely solved problem of mimicry, he could not see that Dr. Miiller's 

 explanations and calculations cleared up all the difficulties. The numerous 

 cases where species which are themselves apparently protected by their 

 offensive secretions evidently mimic other species similarly protected still 

 form a great stumbling-block. The excessive complexity of the question 

 must be evident to all who read Dr. Fritz Miiller's writings on this subject. 

 The phenomena with regard to the Heliconidte, stated broadly, were 

 tliese ; — In Tropical South America a numerous series of gaily-coloured 

 butteiflies and moths, of very different families, which occur in abundance 

 in almost every locality a naturalist may visit, are found all to change their 

 hues and markings together, as if by. the touch of an enchanter's wand, at 

 every few hundred miles, the distances being shorter near the eastern 

 slopes of the Andes than nearer the Atlantic. So close is the accord of 

 some half dozen species (of widely different genera) in each change that 

 he (Mr. Bates) had seen thera in large collections classed and named 

 respectively as one species. Such a phenomenon was calculated to excite 

 the interest of the travelling naturahst in the highest degree. Although 

 the accordant changes were generally complete, cases occurred in which 

 intermediate varieties were still extant, and. the study of these liad given 

 him, when he was in South America, the clue to an explanation which, 

 however, does not embrace the whole of the problem. 



July 2, 1879. 

 Sir John Lubbock, Bart., M.P., V.-P.R.S., President, in the chair. 



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

 respective donors. 



Election of a Member. 



Mr. Vincent Robert Perkins, of 54, Gloucester Street, South Belgravia, 

 was ballotted for and elected an ordinary Member. 



Exhibitions, dc. 

 Mr. S. Stevens exhibited living specimens of Tillus unij'asciatuii and 

 Teretrius picipes, from the same fence, at Norwood, where these insects were 

 captured last year, this being the fourth season of capturing the first, and 

 the third season of taking the second species in this locality. (See also 

 Proc. Ent. Soc, 1878, p. xli). 



