JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. Ixxix 



Mr. Westwood exhibited a, monstrosity occurring in a specimen 

 of Aspilates citraria (one of the G eometridce) , captured by himself 

 at the back of the Isle of Wight, and in which the two wings on the 

 left side are united together, and not larger than the ordinary size 

 of one of the posterior wings. 



He also stated, from information received by Mr. Babington, that 

 C. Darwin, Esq., who had been for several years i^ast actively occu- 

 pied in collecting on the shores of South America, had made a very 

 extensive collection of insects, especially amongst the smaller species, 

 and had obtained, in the island of Chiloe, about a dozen specimens of 

 the Chiasognathus Grantii. 



The following Memoirs w^re read : 



" Notes made during a Voyage from England to Van Diemen's 

 Land, with a Sketch of the Entomology of the Cape of Good Hope," 

 in a Letter addressed to the Secretary, dated Hobarton in Tasmania, 

 5th June, 1835. By Mr. R. H. Lewis, M.E.S. 



During the voyage the writer was greatly annoyed by the cock- 

 roaches, which infested his cabin, flying about at night by hundreds, 

 and running over everything. He, however, states that after mid- 

 night they are less active and troublesome, so that he was enabled 

 then to obtain rest. They were of two kinds ; the most numerous 

 resemble B. Americana, but was probably an Indian species ; the 

 other similar to B. Lupponica. He then proceeds : " The females car- 

 ried their bags of eggs attached to them for some time, the suture of 

 the large species being placed above that of Lapponica, on one side. 

 The former were in immense profusion, and had communication with 

 every part of the ship, between the timbers or skin. The ravages 

 they committed on everything edible were very extensive ; not a bis- 

 cuit but was more or less polluted by them, and amongst the cargo 

 300 cases of cheeses, which had holes in them to prevent their 

 sweating, w^ere considerably damaged, some of them being half de- 

 voured, and not one without some marks of their residence. This 

 serious loss would I believe fall on the shippers, not being covered 

 by insurance ; and it is doubtful whether the shipowners would be 

 liable for it, although it was certainly culpable negligence to send a 

 ship to sea so infested with them : it would probably be a new case 

 in a court of law. As to the means of ridding the ship of them, 

 shipbuilders have an objection to steaming the ship, considering that 

 it ever after remains damp ; but sulphur, I think, would be efficacious, 

 and without objection : there are doubtless many other ways, and 

 they would form an interesting and useful memoir. I was fortunate 

 enough to obtain four sjiecimens of Evania. While upon the subject 

 of these insect travellers, I may mention that Musca domestica, Liun, 



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