Galion) 
otherwise the collection was quite typical of the Mediterranean 
basin, with the admixture of certain species from the Punjaub 
and Scindh; Algerian and Syrian types were most predomi- 
nant. Mr. McLachlan suggested that the scarcity of insects 
in Lower Egypt was possibly to be accounted for by the fact 
that much of the country was under water for a portion of 
the year; and Dr. Sharp said that another cause of the scarcity 
was the cultivation of every available piece of land for centuries 
past. The President and Mr. J. J. Walker continued the 
discussion. 
Mr. C. O. Waterhouse read a paper entitled ‘ Further 
Observations on the Tea-Bugs (Helopeltis) of India.” 
Dr. F. A. Dixey communicated a paper entitled ‘‘On the 
Phylogeny of the Pierine, as illustrated by their Wing- 
markings and Geographical Distribution.”” The paper con- 
tained an analysis of the principal wing-markings, which were 
shown to be homologous, wherever they occurred, throughout 
the entire subfamily. Treating of them under the following 
main divisions—(1) the marginal, (2) the submarginal dark 
series; (8) the light areas between i and 2; (4) the discoidal 
spots; (5) the precostal yellow, and (6) the basal red of the 
hind wing under side—the author traced each series through 
the various Pierine genera, and stated that the first four 
seemed to take their origin from the gradual invasion of a 
primitive dark ground colour by patches of a paler tint, 
which at first bore a definite relation to the nervures and 
their branches, but soon tended to become confluent in all 
directions. An early stage of Pierine development was visible 
in Fucheira, Catasticta, Delias, and Metaporia, in many species 
of which genera much of the original dark ground colour 
persisted; while Catasticta and Delias both exhibited, in 
addition, the basal patches of brilliant colour on the under 
side of the hind wings, out of which were developed the last 
two of the characteristic kinds of markings. Putting together 
all the evidence afforded by these features in their successive 
modifications, the author endeavoured to sketch out the 
phylogenetic history of the whole group, incidentally dis- 
cussing the various cases in which mimicry had acted as a 
disturbing influence, and showing that the affinities disclosed 
