( xxxii ) 
and the few days spent there would always be remembered 
by him as some of the most agreeable and profitable in a tour 
of unusual interest. 
Lord Walsingham, Mr. Kirby, and Dr. Sharp took part in 
the discussion which ensued. 
Mr. H. Goss exhibited, for Mr. W. J. Cross, an extraordinary 
melanic variety of a species of Agrotis,—believed to be either 
segetum or corticea,—caught by the latter near Ely in July last. 
Mr. White exhibited specimens of preserved larve of S. 
convolvuli, A. tau, and other species referred to in Mr. Poulton's 
paper. 
Papers read. 
Mr. W. L. Distant read a paper entitled ‘‘ An enumeration 
of the Rhynchota, received from Baron von Miller, and 
collected by Mr. Sayer in New Guinea, during Mr. Cuthbert- 
son’s expedition.” 
Mr. Poulton read a paper entitled ‘‘ Notes in 1887 upon 
Lepidopterous Larva, &c., including a complete account of the 
life-history of the larve of Sphina convolvuli and Aglia tau.” 
1. The Ontogeny of Sphina convolvuli.—The life-history of this 
larva was worked out with very great care. The egg is much 
smaller than that of S. ligustri, and the young larva is also 
smaller, although at some point in the ontogeny it overtakes 
and finally passes the size of the larva of S. ligustri. The caudal 
horn is at first bifid, the depth of the fork varying greatly. 
There was a most interesting transition from the green to 
the brown varieties of the larve, from which it was possible 
to reconstruct the phyletic steps by which the latter has 
arisen from the former. Red spots, homologous with those 
on Smerinthus larve, are certainly present, and are connected 
with the borders to the stripes. 
2. The Ontogeny of Aglia tau.—The most interesting points 
about this history were:—The marked Sphinz-like appearance 
and attitudes of the larve ; the fact that only four stages are 
present; the extraordinary change at the third ecdysis, the 
previous stages having been very similar; the existence of a 
terrifying eye-like mark in the last stage, capable of being 
opened and closed. The relation of these larvex to the Sphingide 
is very close, and especially so to the genus Smerinthus, and the 
