1866. | Biology. 547 
vessels from the coast of France where it occurs; but Dr. Wright 
was of opinion that it was the peculiar climate and condition of the 
bay which favoured its appearance, or production by natural 
selection. He had hence been much gratified by discovering the 
same moth in a bay of identical character, on the south-west coast 
of Ireland. ‘The other paper alluded to was by Mr. Wallace, the 
well-known investigator of the Amazons and Malay Archipelago, on 
Reversed Sexual Characters in a Butterfly, and their interpretation 
on the theory of modifications and adaptive mimicry. Specimens 
of the butterflies were exhibited. The Heliconidx, a group of 
Lepidoptera with an offensive odour, were never taken by birds as 
food. Whenever they appeared, butterflies of another group 
accompanied them, the females of which closely resembled the 
obnoxious Heliconide in colour, and hence were avoided by birds, 
and were able to deposit their eggs and perpetuate their race. 
Mr. Wallace contended that this imitation could alone be accounted 
for by the greater immunity which butterflies resembling the Heli- 
conidz even in a small degree would always possess, the resemblance 
thus becoming greater and greater in each succeeding generation, 
by the destruction of those in each brood which bore the least 
resemblance. 
Two papers were read which had reference to the practical 
application of Biological Science to social economy. Mr. Thomas 
Browne read a short paper, in which he inveighed against the use 
of Latin nomenclature and Anglicized Latin, advocating the German 
plan of using the vernacular, as tending to increase the diffusion 
and comprehension of scientific truths amongst uneducated persons. 
A much more valuable paper was that of the Rev. W. Farrar, of 
Harrow School, “On the Teaching of Natural Science in Public 
Schools.” He expressed his conviction of the necessity and desir- 
ability of extensive education in physical science. At Marlborough, 
Rugby, and Harrow efforts had been made in introducing these 
studies, and the results of the various methods adopted were com- 
pared. He proposed to remove that useless and overwhelming tax 
on a boy’s powers of study, vez. verse making, and would substitute 
some branch or branches of physical science. He felt sure that 
the masters in our public schools were much in earnest in this 
matter, and only needed encouragement. Dr. Hooker considered 
chemistry as too rigid a study for a young boy to commence with, 
and thought botany and zoology should be the first studies. Pro- 
fessor Tyndall had often witnessed the deep interest boys took in 
the study of physics, when properly opened to them. The habit 
of verification by experiment, and the consciousness of a power of 
prediction, were most important characters to implant in the mind ; 
but this could only be done by a true and philosophic study. 
Mr. Payne charged men of science with talking m this matter and 
