( xci ) 



The young larvae were first seen about the end of February, 

 and they ate their way to the top of their food-mass and 

 then back again to their starting-point, which was only 

 reached in August 1917, when they were full-fed. Each then 

 formed an oval pupation chamber in the sand beyond the old 

 food-mass, and then lay on its back to await pupation. The 

 larva does not possess the stridulatory apparatus which occurs 

 on the second and third legs of the other members of the 

 genus Geotrupes. Probably the continental coleopterists are 

 well advised in placing typJioeus in a separate genus {Mino- 

 taunis) on account of the ftiorphological peculiarities of the larva. 



The larvae pupated towards the end of August, and the 

 imagines appeared in September. The pupa is quite white at 

 first, but the eyes soon darken and then the legs and thorax. 

 The elytra of the newly disclosed beetle are quite white, and 

 pass through various shades of brown to jet black. 



Lack of time and opportunity in the present circumstances 

 prevented detailed observations being made as desired, but, 

 having seen the various successive stages as they appeared 

 and being prepared for them, it should be easy in more 

 peaceful times to rejoeat the experiment and to note carefully 

 the exceedingly interesting operations carried out in full view 

 in the Subterrarium. M. H. Fabre has written a graphic 

 account of the life-histories of a number of the Dung Beetles, 

 but his volaries did not allow him to see actually what was 

 going on underground, and some of his conclusions are not 

 confirmed by observations made in the Subterraria. 



In answer to a question by the President, Mr. Main said 

 that possibly the purpose of the stridulation was to warn 

 away earthworms, which have a dislike to vibration. 



Larva of Chaerocampa elpenor. — Mr. Main also showed 

 two slides of the larva of C. elpenor, one at rest, and one in 

 its so-called " threatening " attitude after being disturbed. 

 In reply to a question by Prof. Poulton he said that the larva 

 did not adopt that attitude while on the food-plant. 



Mimicry in certain Butterflies of New Guinea. — 

 Dr. F. A. DiXEY exhibited some drawings of butterflies 

 illustrative of his paper on this subject, of which he gave 

 the following abstract : — 



