( xxii ) 



M. Waill}' exhibited a large box of bred Lepidoptera, especially of silk- 

 producing Bombyces. Amongst them was the hybrid between Attacus 

 Eoylel and A. Fernyl which was believed to be extinct, but it had been 

 preserved by one of his correspondents in Landes ; two full-fed larvae and 

 some cocoons were exhibited : the preservation of this hybrid had proved 

 that they were not mules, neither had they degenerated. x\lso hybrid larvae 

 between Sainia Cecropia and S. ceanothl [californica) ; the parents had 

 paired without forcing in any way, but no pairing between the sexes of 

 S. ceanothi could be obtained ; he believed these would produce S. Gloveri. 

 Also hybrids between the Himalayan Attacus Roylei and the North China 

 A. Pernyl. M. Wailly remarked that in the first year the cocoon of the 

 hybrid had a thick outer envelope, but in the third year this had been 

 thrown off, and the cocoon almost exactly resembled the typical cocoon of 

 A. Pernyi. Also specimens of Crlcula trifenestrata from the mountains of 

 Madras — a species which had never previously been bred in Europe ; the 

 elongate perforated cocoons, of a golden yellow colour, were found in masses 

 of two to three hundred ; the silk was of little commercial value. There 

 was also an interesting series of Attacus Atlas, comprising the large form 

 from the Himalayas, the dull and obscurely-marked one from Ceylon, and the 

 almost uniformly red-brown one from Sarawak, but these specimens were 

 much brighter than those from Ceylon ; the Bornean specimens had been 

 obtained for M. Wailly by Rajah Sir James Brooke. 



The Secretary exhibited a specimen of Chrysopa perla, L., and a photo- 

 graph of the same taken by Mr. G. C. Bignell, of Stonehouse, who had lately 

 paid much attention to Micro-photography as a means of illustrating the 

 neuration of certain insects. 



The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Mr. M'Lachlan, four specimens 

 of Cecidomyidtr. which had emerged last month from the Cattleya galls 

 exhibited at the June meeting, and read some remarks on the same from 

 Mr. M'Lachlan and from Prof. Westwood. 



Prof. C. V. Riley took exception to Mr. Fitch's concluding remarks, 

 that the gnats were certainly CecidomyidcB, if not belonging to the 

 restricted genus Cecidomyia, and were probably the true gall makers. 

 The rearing of these few Cecidomyids from the galls did not necessarily 

 warrant the conclusion that they were the architects of the gall. While the 

 flies had not been critically examined, they did not have the appearance of 

 true gall-making species, and he was of opinion that they were merely 

 inquilines, breeding probably in the gall substance. Such inquilines were 

 often mistaken for gall-makers, and he cited instances. The galls from 

 whicli the specimens came should be carefully examined. In reference 

 to the phytophagic nature of Isosoma in America, as illustrated by 

 Isosoma hordei, I. vitis, and /. tritici, there could be no question whatever. 

 The matter has been definitely settled. The Isosoma larva is always 



