184 



September -0th. 



ORDINARY MEETING— AN EVENING FOR THE EX- 

 HIBITION OF SPECIMENS. 



Mr. T. W. WoNFOi; exhibited models in wax of the 

 Colorado beetle in its various stages, viz., egg, larva at different 

 periods, chrysalis, and perfect insect ; and three real beetles, sent 

 from America in a pill box, whose colour seemed to have 

 changed either through decomposition, or from the manner in 

 which they had been killed ; and a fourth procured from 

 Mr. Dowsett. This led to a conversation on the true colour 

 of the beetle underneath. 



Mr. Dowsett mentioned that nearly all the specimens he 

 had seen had been yellow underneath with black joints. 

 Whether the black colour would extend in some specimens 

 aU over the under part of the body he did not know. 



Mr. LoMAX suggested that the colour might change 

 according to the food upon which the insect fed. 



Mr. WoNFOR also exhibited a locust sent from Africa 

 in a letter, and which was still alive when it reached this 

 country. He had been unable to learn to what species it 

 belonged, and intended taking it to the Entomological Depart- 

 ment of the British Museum. It was reported as strange to 

 that part of Africa where it was found. 



Mr. Dowsett thought it was an Indian species. 



Mr. WoNFOR then called attention to a fine female swallow- 

 tail butterfly, rapilio Machaon, which had been reared from one 

 of two caterpillars found by two little boys feeding on the 

 leaves of the cultivated carrot, in a garden, near the Race Hill, 

 towards the end of July. The caterpillars were taken to Messrs. 

 Pratt and Sons. One of the caterpillars died in the process of 

 transformation, but the other changed into a chrysalis, and 



