( vii ) 



7. J. almana = J. aster ie. 

 These two butterflies also fly together, and Col. Swinhoe has a series of 

 gradations completely linking the two extremes of these supposed species 

 found in India, and which it is his intention to figure. Where every 

 gradation exists one cannot speak with any satisfaction of a seasonal form, 

 since it becomes impossible to show what you intend by the term. 



In conclusion, I may note that most of De Niceville's recent suggestions 

 were not new to me, as he asked my opinion upon them (not as proved 

 facts, but mere conjectures) when recently in London. Since then he has 

 certainly not had time to convince himself by careful breeding of the 

 accuracy of all these conjectures, and therefore he should have delayed 

 publication until he had done his utmost in that direction. Nothing can 

 be more beneficial to tlie study of Natural Science than the record of careful 

 experiments, extending over many months, such as we obtain from 

 Mr. W. H, Edwards, of North America; nothing can be more detrimental 

 than the record of mere guesses, particularly where no care has been 

 taken rightly to identify the species under consideration. Although 

 Mr. Edwards has proved the identity (specifically) of many supposed 

 species, no lepidopterist receives his facts without enthusiasm. 



Mr. J. Jenner Weir thought it a great mistake to suppose that species 

 closely linked together were cases of seasonal dimorphism. He also referred 

 to Pieris napi, about which he was somewhat puzzled ; the two seasonal 

 forms were well defined in Britain, but not in those specimens he had 

 received from Ireland. 



Mr. R. Meldola thought that until Mr. De Niceville had given further 

 evidences of his supposed cases of seasonal dimorphism we should allow our 

 judgment on the validity of the several species to remain in suspension ; 

 the evidence must remain incomplete until one form had been bred from 

 the other. 



Dr. D. Sharp alluded to the remarks in C. R. Soc. Ent. Belg. 188ri, 

 xxvi., upon the two different forms of spermatozoa in Helops striatus, Fourc, 

 and H. brevicollis, Kryn., and expressed a hope that further details of the 

 observations would be published. He had not at present detected H. brevi- 

 collis in this country. 



Mr. Meldola said tliat Weismann instanced several species oi Daphniidte 

 in which very distinct varieties were found in their spermatozoa. 



Papers read. 

 Rev. T. A. Marshall contributed Parti, of a "Monograph of British 

 Braconidae." 



Rev. W. W. Fowler read " Descriptions of new species of Laiujuiiida.'' 



