Ixix 



variation, affinities, and distribution, must be considered as 

 belonging to the branch of Descriptive Entomology. Of the 

 papers on subjects of more general interest, I may be peiiiiitted 

 to allude to jNliss Ormerod's " Observations on the Effect of Low 

 Temperature on Larvre," to Prof. Wood-Mason's "Morphological 

 Notes bearnig on the Origin of Insects," to Prof. Westwood's 

 paper " On some unusual Monstrous Insects," to Mr. Charles 

 Waterhonse"s paper " On the Affinity of the Genus Polyctenes," 

 and to Mr. Butler's paper " On the Natural Affinities of the 

 Lepidoptera liitherto referred to the Genus Acronycta." Miss 

 Ormerod's observations confirm the view generally held by ento- 

 mologists, though it is scarcely the popular opinion, that cold bas 

 little or no destructive effect upon larvae, or indeed upon insect- 

 life in any form ; but I do not recall anv place where the results 

 of observation are stated with precision of detail, and our member 

 has done well to record the effect of ascertained temperatures 

 upon determined species. The monstrosities mentioned by 

 Prof. Westwood are three butterflies with extra wings or portions 

 of wings, and numerous cases of Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, and 

 Diptera with imperfectly-developed heads, in which the imago 

 retained some portion of the outer covering of the larva or pupa.* 

 Mr. Cbarles Waterhouse introduces us to a wondrous creature, 

 Euctenodes, which he provisionally places in the f'dimly PolyctenidcE, 

 and considers allied to the Tllppoboscida, whilst Prof. Westwood 

 seems to doubt whether the group should not be referred to the 

 Hemiptera-Heteroptera.f But Mr. Butler's paper on Acronycta 

 is the most startling, and to a lepidopterist of the ancient type its 

 author must appear a perfect revolutionary. Only last year 

 he excited some little astonishment by promulgating the view 

 that the A^geriidce have nothing to do with the Sphinges, and that 

 their affinities are with the PyraUdina and GeleckiidcB. I have 

 not heard of any attempt to combat this view, and its opponents 



* The specimen of Bovibyx viori mentioned by Professor Westwood on p. 223 

 was bred by Dr. Wallace (Proc. Ent. Soc. 1871, p. iv.) The specimen of Vanessa 

 Atalanta mentioned on the same page was bred by Mr. Jackson (Proc. Ent. Soc. 

 1871, p. ii.) The specimen of Botys fmcalis mentioned on p. 227 was captured by 

 tlie Piev. Pv. P. Murray in the Isle of Man (Proc. Ent. Soc. 1871, p. xxxi.). The 

 specimen of Orgyia antiqua (?) mentioned on p. 238 was a female, and was 

 exhibited by Mr. Jenner Weir at the meeting, of this Society held on the 5th 

 November, 1879 [a7ite, p. xlix.) 



t Surely the specific name of the new Polyctenes parasitic on a bat {Megaderma 

 spasma), described by Mv. Waterhouse on p. 312, should be P. S2)asmatis, not s]}asmce ! 



