( xvi ) 



Mr. Billups exhibited a specimen of Bassiis hizonnriva 

 (Gravenhorst), — an ichneumon new to Britain, — taken at Peck- 

 ham in Maj% 1885 ; also a number of specimens of another 

 parasite belonging to the Braconidm, — Ditneris mira (Ruthe), — 

 taken in Headley Lane, Surrey, in March last. 



Mr. Wra. White exhibited preserved specimens of the larva of 

 two species of Catocala, for the purpose of calling attention to 

 some remarkable processes upon the under side, which seem to 

 have been unrecognised hitherto. He stated that, having lately 

 submitted to a microscopical examination the characters on the 

 under side of lepidopterous larvae of numerous groups, he found 

 this new character to exist in the case of the CatocaUdcE, but in 

 no other family. Upon the lower side of the English species C. 

 fraxini, there are curious markings of o. fleur-de-lis shape between 

 the legs of the 2nd and 3rd thoracic segments, and a further 

 series of marks of various forms upon the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 

 and 7th abdominal segments. These markings are of a dark 

 mahogany-brown colour, fading into deep orange all round, and 

 in connection with them there is found to be (when examined 

 with a strong lens) a development of some strange processes of a 

 pocket-like appearance. Upon attempting to insert the point of 

 a fine pin into this pocket he found that they were subcutaneous, 

 and not actually upon the surface, as they appeared through the 

 perfectly transparent cuticle to be. The German species C. electa 

 attains an extended and rather fuller development than C. fraxini 

 in bearing the characters upon each segment. The processes vary 

 considerably in grade of development amongst the segments, and 

 he said he had not yet been able to make out their precise order, 

 but he submitted a somewhat rough sketch of the appearance of 

 the abdominal segments of C. electa as shown by a 2-incli objective. 

 The first drawing exhibited the internal structure of the dissected 

 portion before the fatty tissues were removed ; but little of the 

 processes could be made out from that point of view, and they 

 were more clearly to be seen from the other aspect ; also a side 

 view showing the contour, of the natural size. The large view of 

 four of the spots presents an idea of the diversity of form in the 

 individual animal, and the two additional sketches show the 

 processes diagraramatically. Mr. White said that the only con- 

 clusion he could arrive at respecting them was that they were 

 functional organs of a special nature, and he observed that lie 



