( v ) 



Mr. Frederic Merrifield read a paper (by way of an 

 appendix to Mr. Galton's paper) entitled " A proposed method 

 of breeding Selenia illustraria, with the object of obtaining 

 data for Mr. Galton." 



Mons. Wailly suggested that Bombyx cynthia and certain 

 species of Attacus would be suitable for breeding from for the 

 purpose proposed. 



Mr. M'Lachlan said he considered the fact that S. illustraria 

 was dimorphic an objection to its selection for the experiments 

 proposed, and he suggested that the Common Silkworm 

 Moth, or some of the larger Bombyces referred to by Mons. 

 Wailly, would be more suitable for Mr. Galton's purposes. 

 He also said that the genus Ephyra, which had been named 

 as suitable for breeding from for the purposes in question, 

 was also open to objection on the ground of seasonal di- 

 morphism ; and he added that it was most important that the 

 larvae, if those of indigenous species be selected, should be 

 kept in the open air, as the artificial conditions of life indoors 

 would no doubt affect the result of the experiments. 



Prof. Meldola stated that Mr. Galton had consulted him 

 some weeks ago with respect to the proposed breeding experi- 

 ments, and, although he had no practical experience in 

 breeding Selenia illustrana, he was familiar with the life- 

 histories of S. illunaria and S. lunaria. He wished, however, 

 to call attention in the first place to some remarks on 

 S. illustraria by Dr. Knaggs in the Ent. Mo, Mag. (vol. hi., 

 pp. 238 and 256), which had some bearing on the pro- 

 jected experiments. Although S. illustraria was for some 

 reasons a species well adapted for testing Mr. Galton's con- 

 clusions, he was inclined to believe that the fact of this moth 

 being seasonally dimorphic was likely to introduce disturbing 

 elements into the experiments which might or might not 

 influence the results, but which would, at any rate, render 

 any conclusions drawn from these experiments less satis- 

 factory than if the species had not been seasonally dimorphic. 

 The object of Mr. Galton's experiments, according to the 

 paper which he had circulated, is to measure the diminution 

 in the rate of divergence from the average racial character 

 produced by continued selection in successive generations. 



