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entomologists of smearing the pastures with preventive mixtures 

 was absurd, since the insect brings down its young with it, and 

 does not breed in the low levels. Colonel Swinhoe supposed 

 the swarming to be due to atmospheric conditions, and instanced, 

 the remarkable fact that all game will always fly up rather 

 than down hill. Dr. Dixey had observed great quantities of 

 butterflies on an exposed and conspicuous ridge which ran out 

 from the cliffs at Morthoe, N. Devon, chiefly Satyrids and 

 " Blvies," while Mr. Rowland-Brown mentioned the many 

 insects to be found at high alpine elevations, notably on 

 the Besso (12,055 feet), near Zinal, where lie had observed 

 many small flies, and not far from the summit individuals 

 of Erebia glacialis, attracted and drawn upward in his opinion 

 by the warm upward currents of air from the valleys and 

 lower slopes. Mr. Tutt supported the theory of insects seeking 

 high and exposed localities for breeding purposes, and agreed 

 with the view that hill-tops were the best places for assembling. 

 Colonel Bingham, the Rev. F. D. Morice, Mr. Donisthorpe, 

 and. other Fellows joined in the discussion. 



The President in reply thanked the Fellows for the many 

 interesting facts which had been suggested bearing upon his 

 hypothesis. With regard to Dorcadion he felt confident that 

 the numbers on the conspicuous rock had not all been bred 

 there, and that therefore there had been an instinct to crawl 

 upwards from lower elevations. In this way, if the insects 

 only came from a few hundred feet below, their chances of 

 meeting each other had been multiplied thousandfold. He 

 quite agreed with Dr. Chapman that hibernation may have 

 played an important part in the instinct in the case of the 

 Coccinellidai but not in that of Dorcadion, the Ammojihila, 

 or the swarms of ants. 



Mr. O. E. Janson contributed on behalf of Mr. F. P. Dodd, 

 of Townsville, Queensland, a note upon " Maternal Instinct 

 in Rhynchota." 



Mr. H. Rowland-Brown read a " Note on Oncoptera intri- 

 cata" a moth extremely destructive to pastures in Tasmania, 

 by Mr. F. M. Littler, M.A.O.U., of Launceston, Tasmania, 

 who sent also examples of the imago and larva for exhibition. 



Describing the depredations on all sorts of gi-asses com- 



