63 



called mouse-coloured ; tliere is not the slightest trace of the four colours (velvety 

 uinber-brovvn, cream-colour, intense purple-black and bright red) which usually adorn 

 this beautiful insect; at the base of the hind-wings and along the abdominal margin 

 are long, hair-like scales, of ihe normal red colour ; beneath, the same uniform mouse- 

 colour pervades the entire surface of the wings, except the base of the hind-wings, 

 which is paler, and has the same long, red hairs which I have described on iheir upper 

 surface. The wing-ravs are remarkably prominent, and appear of a darker brown than 

 the interspaces ; but this apparent difference of colour I attribute solely to their pro- 

 minence." 



Mr. Westwood exhibited a large larva (apparently of a Sphinx) preserved in spirits. 

 The species is said to cause great injury to the maize crops on the Parenia River, in 

 South America. He also exhibited a Nonagria, from the collection of Mr. WoUas- 

 ton, the larva of which is very injurious to the sugar-cane in Madeira. Mr. West- 

 wood observed that this insect is quite distinct from the species which damages the 

 cane in the West Indies, which latter was originally introduced from Ceylon. 



Structure of the Tarsi in Insects. 



Mr. Westwood exhibited an extremely minute species of Coleopterous insect, of 

 which several specimens were captured in the Island of Madeira by T. V. Wollas- 

 ton, Esq., who had placed them in his hands for examination. The species be- 

 longed to the same small group as the genus Orthoperus of Stephens, and several 

 other minute genera illustrated in Mr. Wollaston's ' Insecta Madeirensia,' all of which 

 were interesting on account of the structure of their tarsi. After referring to the ad- 

 ditional interest attaching to the study of the modifications of structure of insects, or 

 indeed of any other tribe of animals, consequent upon the investigation of homolo- 

 gies and the tracing of various structures to some normal type, Mr. Westwood referred 

 to the modifications in the structure of the tarsi of Coleopterous insects, which he con- 

 sidered typically to consist of five joints ; it was consequently interesting to know how 

 one or other of these joints became lost in certain beetles whose tarsi possessed fewer 

 than five joints, and whether this loss was effected either by the absolute want of a 

 joint, or by its existence, in a coalesced state, with one or other of the existing joints. 

 The great division of pseudotetramerous Coleoptera was then referred to by Mr. West- 

 wood, who considered it an excellent and natural division, sufficient of itself to prove 

 the excellence of the tarsal system. This division contains the great mass of vege- 

 table-feeding insects, consisting of the three great families of Longicorns (Cerambyx, 

 Linn.), with a long body and long, straight antennte; the weevils (Curculio, Linn), 

 with a short body and generally elbowed antennae ; and the Phytophagous beetles 

 (Chrysomela, Linn.), with a short body and short, straight antennse. The intimate 

 connexion between the families Curculionidae and Chrysomelidae was proved by such 

 genera as those described by Lacordaire, as Phytophagous ; and by Schouherr, as 

 Curculionideous; as well as by Carpophagus and Rhaebus ; whilst the connexion be- 

 tween the Longicorns and Chrysomelidae was effected by the Australian genus belong, 

 ing to the Acrocerides, but having entirely the appearance of the Lepturides, as well as 

 by Donacia and its allies. All these insects, from the nature of iher mode of life on 

 plants, require a firm footing, and their tarsi are consequently dilated, and furnished 

 beneath with pads. This is the case with the three basal joints; but the fourth joint, 

 either on account of the large size of the three preceding joints, or in order to 



