( iv ) 



have never seen any other bees visiting the passion-flower, 

 so that it would seem that only a powerful insect like Xylocopa 

 can appreciate its sweets. 



Oleander. — With one solitary exception I have never seen 

 any insect of any kind visiting the flowers of this shrub ; 

 while other plants in the compound would be gay with 

 butterflies, bees, and insect-life generally, the fine clusters of 

 the oleander always remained entirely neglected. The one 

 exception occurred on July 13th, 1883, when I noticed a 

 large black Xylocopa settle on a cluster of white flowers, 

 remain for a few seconds, and then fly away." 



Mr. Slater, Colonel Swiuhoe, Mr. Trimen, LordWalsingham, 

 and Mr. M'Lachlan took part in the discussion which ensued. 



Dr. D. Sharp read a paper entitled " On the structure of 

 the Terminal Segment in some male Hemiptera." 



Colonel Swinhoe read a paper entitled "On the Moths 

 of Burma," which contained descriptions of several new 

 genera and 107 new species. 



Dr. F. A. Dixey read a paper entitled "On the Phylo- 

 genetic Significance of the wing-markings in certain genera 

 of the NymphalidcB." The author said he believed that the 

 various markings of members of the genera Vanessa, Pyra- 

 meis, Grapta, Araschnia, &c., were modifications of a single 

 type, seen in its simplest form in the genus Argynnis, where 

 it consists essentially of four series of dark spots on a light 

 ground colour, running more or less parallel to the hind 

 border of both pairs of wings. The passage of the gene- 

 ralised Argynnid type of marking to the specialised condition 

 which obtains in the highly ornamental Vauessids is illus- 

 trated by several forms, and especially by the female of A. 

 niphe, where the survival of what is probably the ancestral 

 dark ground colour in some places, and the picking out of 

 certain areas in pure white in others, produces a resemblance 

 to Pyrameis which affects not only the general aspect, but 

 extends even to several small details ; and this although the 

 characteristic Argynnid markings still preserve their relative 

 size and position. The oldest Argynnid pattern now extant 

 ie probably that exhibited by the female of A. diana, in 

 which the characteristic series of spots have scarcely yet 



