1866. | Entomology. 271 
January.—Mr. Stevens exhibited a collection of insects from the 
Himalayas, mostly Lepidoptera. Extracts of a letter from Prof. 
Snellen von Vollenhofen were read by Prof. Westwood. The writer 
stated that Chareas granimis and Heliophobus popularis had ap- 
peared in immense numbers in certain districts in Holland, and had 
proved very destructive. Mr. Bates gave the meeting some account 
of the proceedings of Mr. EK. Bartlett, who had recently gone to 
the Amazons on a zoological excursion, and had already made his 
way up the Ucalayi, which may be considered the upper part of 
the main river, to nearly the latitude of Lima. Mr. Hewitson sent 
a paper containing descriptions of new species of Hesperide. The 
President (Mr. Pascoe) communicated a list of the Longicornia 
collected by the late Mr. Bouchard at Santa Martha. Of fifty-three 
species nearly half were new to science. 
The anniversary meeting was held January 22. After the usual 
report of the proceedings and position of the Society had been 
made, and in which it was stated that fifty-nine new members had 
been elected since the previous anniversary, the President read his 
address, reviewing the progress of entomology during the past year; 
after which it was announced that Sir John Lubbock, Bart., F.R.S., 
&c., had been elected President ; J. W. Dunning, M.A., &e., Secre- 
tary; and §. Stevens, F.L.S., &., Treasurer. 
February.—At the previous meeting it had been announced 
that one of the prizes offered by the Council for the best essay on 
economic entomology had been adjudged to Dr. A. Wallace, of Col- 
chester, for his essay on Ailanthiculture. In now presenting it to 
the author, the President stated that the Council had decided upon 
again offering two prizes of five guineas each for essays of sufficient 
merit on any subject connected with the habits, anatomy, or 
economy of any insect or group of insects serviceable or obnoxious 
to mankind, the essays to be sent to the Secretary on or before the 
30th November, 1866. Mr. 8. Stevens exhibited a male of the 
rare Papilio Semperi, a butterfly with black wings and a bright 
scarlet body. Mr. W. Wilson Saunders brought for exhibition 
a numerous suite of Heliconia Melpomene, all taken at Cayenne, 
showing the excessive variation of colour to which the species was 
subject, and, consequently, how little reliance ought to be placed on 
mere colour alone in the discrimination of species, at least in that 
portion of the diurnal Lepidoptera. It is to be hoped that those 
Lepidopterists who are constantly favouring us with descriptions of 
“new species,” which in many cases appear to depend on very slight 
differences of colour, will not be forgetful of its uncertainty as a 
specific character. Professor Westwood and Mr. MacLachlan called 
attention to remarkable gynandromorphous examples, the former of 
Dytiseus latissimus, the latter of Argynnis paphia. Mr. Hewitson 
communicated a paper describing seventeen new species of Hesperia. 
