133 



identical with tliat exhibited by Mr. Smith, in druggists' shops, amongst pearl barley 

 and coriander seed. 



Mr. Slainlon exhibited, on behalf of the Rev. Mr. Hellins, drawings of the larrge of 

 the nine British species of ibe genus Melanippe, admirably executed by Mr. W. Buckler. 

 The larva; delineated had in all instances been bred from the eggs, and were repre- 

 sented both of the natural size and magnified. 



Mr. Bond exhibited some Lepidoptera from the Isle of Wij^ht, including a 

 fine example of Leucania vitellina, and the female of Agrotis cinerea, both 

 captured by Mr. Rogers ; and a beautiful series of Heliophobus hispida, taken by 

 himself. 



Mr. Stevens communicated some extracts from a letter received by him from 

 Mr. R. Trimen, on the Entomology of the Cape of Good Hope. 



Mr. Janson said that he was desirous of contradicting a report in circulation rela- 

 tive to Donacia Comari, exhibited by him at the previous meeting as a species hitherto 

 unrecorded as British, to the effect that it is described by the late Mr. Stephens under 

 the name of Donacia Proteus, and had therefore been long known as indigenous. He 

 stated that the facts are simply as follows. First, Stephens' Latin diagnosis of D. 

 Proteus is copied verbatim from Kunze ; his description is an abridged translation from 

 the same author. Secondly, D. Proteus of Kunze is identical with D. sericea of Lin- 

 neus, and has been cited on all hands for the past twenty years as a synonym of that 

 species. Thirdly, D. sericea of Linneus and D. Comari of Ahrens and Suffrian 

 (D. sericea, Ahrens olim nee Linn.) being a distinct species it is obvious that Stephens' 

 description cannot refer to D. Comari. Moreover the "prominent anterior angles of 

 the thorax " of Stephens' description of D. Proteus apply incontestably to D. sericea 

 of Linneus and not to D. Comari, which has those angles obtuse and deflexed. 



Supposed new Species of Nonayria. 



Dr. Knaggs exhibited some speciujcns of an undescribed species of Nonagria? 

 taken at Folkestone, and read the following remarks and description : — 



" It may be recollected that specimens of Nonagria concolor were taken for the 

 first time in this country at Whittlesea Mere, in the year 1849, and for the last time, 

 in the same locality, in 1850. The spot was afterwards destroyed by fire, and subse- 

 quently cultivated, since which the insect has been seen no more. Its time of appear- 

 ance was June, and it came to ' sugar.' In 1859, at Folkestone, I captured specimens 

 of a Nonagria which bore considerable resemblance to this species, and which was 

 returned by M. Guenee as N. concolor. Through the kindness of my friends Messrs. 

 Doubleday and Bond, who have lent me specimens of the true N. concolor for com- 

 parison, I am enabled to give the following characteristics, which I think justify the 

 acceptance of my specimens as a species totally distinct from Nonagria concolor, and 

 new to Science. In the following remarks I shall designate my specimens Nonagria 

 Bondii. 



" In addition to the larger size of Nonagria Bondii, and the difference in colour, 

 the fore wings being constantly paler, the hind wings darker in N. Bondii than in N. 

 concolor, there are other distinguishing characters. In shape N. concolor approaches 

 that of a Glaea, N. Bondii that of a Noctua ; for instance, the costa of the fore wings 

 in N. concolor presents from the base to the middle a convex curve, and for the rest 

 is straight, or if anything even slightly coucave ; while in N, Bondii there is a gradual 



