34 



permanence of snch modifications of specific forms through several or even many 

 generations, so long, in fact, as the disturbing influences which produced the modifi- 

 cation remained at work. It was by this kind of radiation from a central specific type 

 that geographical varieties were produced and perpetuated; and thus, fur instance, 

 Mr. Westwood was induced to regard all the species of Ornithoptera allied to O. Pria- 

 mus, recently proposed by himself and others, as modified sub-species or local varieties 

 of that insect. So also were produced by the agency of man himself the different 

 varieties of the silk-worm, so well known in the " uiagnaneries '' of the South 

 of France and Italy. He believed that if many of the Micro- Lepidoptera regarded by 

 Mr. Stainton as distinct species were really such, they would exhibit tangible struc- 

 tural modifications in the length and form of the joints of the palpi, the number of 

 joints in the antennae, the structure of the veins of the wings, or of the tarsi. Mr. 

 Stainton had, however, failed in describing any such characteristic modifications. 



Mr. Stainton observed that he should consider that such diflerences as Mr. West- 

 wood alluded to would be generic, not specific. 



Dr. Gray maintained the existence of permanent and geographical varieties in all 

 classes of animals, from Mammalia downwards. 



Mr. Stevens exhibited a few insects collected in Madagascar by Madame Pfeiffer, 

 amongst which was a fine species of Calandra. 



Mr. Mitford exhibited a beautiful Noctua {Brana calopasa) from Ceylon, and gave 

 the following interesting account of the habits of the species, communicated by E. L. 

 Mitford, Esq.: — " One morning in March, about seven o'clock, I saw a cloud of these 

 moths whirling and sporting round the trunk of a large tree. After continuing their 

 gyrations for half an hour, they gradually settled in a large patch on the shady side of 

 the tree, forming a sort of thatch, the wings of one row overlapping the bodies of the 

 next, when they appeared like an excrescence on the bark, which they resembled in 

 colour: this habit is very peculiar to this moth, as it is very uncommon for moths to 

 go iu swarms." 



* Cells of the Honey Bee. 



Mr. Tegetmeier stated that he had recently made some experiments with a view of 

 ascertaining whether the cells of the hive-bee were formed hexagonally, or whether 

 such form was the result of lateral pressure, or rather the natural result of placing 

 cells close together without any loss of space; with this object in view he had placed 

 pieces of wax on the bars of one of " Wildman's" hives and watched the bees com- 

 mence excavating therein ; the cells formed, invariably proved cylindrical. They 

 were, however, not in juxtaposition, as in the normal comb. 



Mr. Tegetmeier also expressed his conviction that the cells of bees were also 

 formed in the first instance with a hemispherical base, having observed the deposition 

 of the foundations of numbers of cells on the under side of one of the bars of his leaf- 

 hive, which he had removed shortly after the swarm had been hived into it ; and also 

 that the outer portion of each cell was also cylindrical until a fresh cell was added on 

 its outer side, when the cell became an inner one, and its outer sides transformed into 

 an hexagon. 



Dr. Gray contended that the hexagonal form was undoubtedly the result of lateral 

 pressure, if cylinders composed of any yielding substance (vermicelli for example) 

 were placed side by side and subjected to such pressure, they were invariably forced 

 into the hexagonal form ; he considered the attempt made by Natural Theologians 

 to prove that the formation of an hexagonal rather than a cylindrical cell indicated 



