( slviii ) 



every hole in the shelves), it was placed in such a position that the 

 bottom of the box, divided into alternating areas, was vertical, and 

 every larva was suspended vertically over the hole through which 

 it passed. The frame was then placed in a window, so that as 

 much light as possible fell upon the larvae and the surface around 

 them. As the larvse invariably curve the anterior part of the 

 body during suspension, the head was always brought close to the 

 underside of a shelf, and there was no chance of the larva seeing 

 the colour of the area above the shelf, through the narrow chink 

 between the side of the hole and its own body. Finally, the time 

 which elapsed before pupation was noted, and the results com- 

 pared. These experiments seemed to confirm those in which the 

 larvse were blinded, for the colour of the pupa corresponded 

 with that of the upper area rather than the lower. These experi- 

 ments were conducted upon large numbers of larvse. The 

 single frame shown to the Fellows of the Society would hold 

 sixty individuals at once ; and Mr. Poulton had also made two 

 other smaller frames, and had tried the same experiments in 

 other ways, by means of compartmented tubular boxes which were 

 fixed over the suspended larvae. It thus appeared, almost certain, 

 that there was some terminal organ in the skin which was affected 

 by surrounding colours, or that the latter acted directly on some 

 superficial element in the larval tissues, without the intermediation 

 of the nervous system. 



The President, and Messrs. Trimen, Waterhouse, White, Hall, 

 and others, took part in the discussion which ensued. 



Mr. Slater exhibited a specimen of Prionus corianus, found in 

 Devonshire, on fennel, and a specimen of Calandra palmarum, 

 found alive at Pembroke Dock. 



Mr. Enock exhibited Mymar j^ulchellus, and a specimen of 

 Atypus piceus recently taken on Hampstead Heath. 



Mr. Elisha exhibited a series of Gelechia Jiippo])haeUa (Schr.), 

 bred from larvae collected at Deal on Hiijpophae rhaninoides. 



Mr. Billups exhibited Echthrus lancifer, Gr., a species of Ichneu- 

 monida; new to Britain, taken at Walmer on the 15th of August 

 last, and stated that he was indebted to Mr. J. B. Bridgman for 

 the identification of the species. He remarked that Brischke had 

 bred members of this genus from Sesia spheci/ormis, S. formi- 

 caformis, and Leucania obsoleta ; but that in this country the 

 genus was little known, only one species {Echthrus reluctator) 

 being mentioned in Marshall's list of British IchneumonidcB. 



