34 



Mr. Slainton exhibited, on behalf of Mr. H. Cooke, a specimen of Leucnnia 

 vitelliua, a Noctua new to Britain, taken by him in his own garden at Brighton ; also 

 Phlogophora empyrea, Leucania niusculosa and Laphygnia exigua, all taken near the 

 same locality during this season, and a specimen of Cucullia Verbasci, reared from 

 larva which had been found feeding on Buddlfpa globosa. 



Mr. Douglas exhibited two specimens of Brontes planatus, Lin. (Uleiota planata, 

 Sleph. Man.), which he had taken on the previous day under the loose bark of 

 a beech tree, in the neighbourhood of Lee, which bad been felled about a year ago ; 

 and observed that the species is given by Stephens as " very rare. Hermitage, South 

 Lambeth," and that Shuckard says, " very rare, query indigenous," so that the capture 

 is of interest in more ways than one. 



Mr. Stainton exhibited the cocoon of a species of Tinea, from Ceylon, attached to 

 a footstalk about half-an-inch long, the cocoon itself being composed of network, 

 similar to those of the European genus Plutella. 



Mr. Westwood observed that a much more remarkable instance of the cocoon of a 

 Lepidopterous insect being attached to a footstalk occurs in the Saturnia Cynthia of 

 India, in which species the footstalk of the cocoon is two inches long. 



Mr. Stevens exhibited the following Coleoptera, recently taken by Mr. Arthur 

 Adams: — Polislicbus fasciolatus, at Sheerness; Trechus nanus, at Mickleham ; also 

 six specimens of Drypta emarginata, and a larva which he presumed pertained to the 

 latter species. 



Mr. Westwood observed that the larva referred to Drypta was, in reality, that of a 

 species of Silj^ha. 



Mr. Weir exhibited a specimen of Anlhribus albiuus, captured at Pembury, 

 Kent, 



Mr. Foxcroft exhibited some Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, taken in Scotland and 

 Wales during the past summer, including a single specimen of Otiorhynchus septen- 

 trionis, from Perthshire. 



Mr. F. Smith exhil)ited a specimen of Cybister limbatus, having the head of the 

 larva instead of that of the perfect insect; it was found alive and swimming, in 

 apparent health, by Mr. Bowring, at Hong Kong. 



Mr. Westwood said this was the first recorded instance in Coleoptera of the imago 

 being found with the head of the larva ; in Lepidoptera, however, instances had 

 occurred : a specimen of Nymphalis Populi was recorded in the ' Memoires de 1' Academic 

 Royale de Bruxelles,' having the head of the larva instead of that of the perfect 

 insect. 



Mr. Gregson sent for exhibition a pair of Coleophora vitisella, and the case of the 

 larva of this species. 



Mr. Stevens read an extract from a letter received by him from Mr. A. R. Wallace, 

 written from Lombock, in which he remarked the paucity of insects of all orders iu 

 that locality, attributable to the greater part of the island being now devoted to the 

 cultivation of rice. 



The Secretary read the following extract from a letter from G. H. K. Thwaites, Esq., 

 Director of the Botanic Garden, Peradenia, Ceylon, to William Spence, Esq.: — 



" I have often observed, on the whitewashed walls of the houses here, a whitish- 

 coloured spider stationary for hours, with its head downwards and its legs extended 



