XIV 



Mr. F. Smith exhibited a larva from Moute Video, profusely covered with 

 hairs or bristles having clavate tips : he presumed it was the caterpillar of a 

 moth, and Dr. Horsfield had described the larva of Limautria as having a some- 

 what similar covering. 



Mr. M'Lachlau added that the larva of Acronycta alni possessed some hairs 

 of the same shape, though few in number. 



Mr. Albert Miiller mentioned that Meyer-Diir had pointed out certain 

 differences between the larvae of Argynnis Adippe and Niche : in his 

 ' Verzeichniss der Schmetterlinge der Schweiz,' published in 1853, that author 

 states that Argynnis Niobe in Switzerland inhabits only the alpine and sub- 

 alpine regions from -3000 — 5600 feet above the sea, and that its larva has in the 

 full-grown state a white dorsal stripe and flesh-coloured spines, whilst A. Adippe 

 is not found at a greater elevation than 3300 feet, and its larva has no white 

 dorsal stripe, but a pale-reddish lateral stripe instead. Mr. Miiller argued, that 

 though the food-plants of both were various species of violet, until this evidence 

 was rebutted, or unless two different larvse produced the same form of imago — 

 unless there were dimorphic larvae — xA.dippe and Niobe must be considered 

 distinct species, even though (which he did not admit) the perfect butterflies 

 were undistinguishable. 



Mr. Staintou mentioned an instance of dimorphism in the larva state ; a form 

 of larva of Sphinx Atropos sometimes occurred with the ordinary markings 

 obliterated and with only a few whitish blotches in front, so that there was 

 really nothing but the shape of the anal horn by which the larva could be 

 identified as Atropos : he had known of the occurrence of about twenty of these 

 abnormal larvae in the last twenty years ; and there was no perceptible difference 

 in the imago. 



Mr. Butler was not acquainted with the larvae of Argynnis Adippe and 

 Niobe, and his suggestion that the two forms were one species was made from 

 observation of the perfect insects only ; he had found the two flying together, 

 and the sexes pursuing one another : he thought the differences betv/een the 

 butterflies, without amounting to specific distinction, might be accounted for by 

 differences in the external conditions to which they were subject. An instance 

 of this kind had lately come under his notice ; in India, Capt. Lang had been 

 in the habit of taking what at the time of capture he thought were two distinct 

 butterflies, one in marshy land, the other in dry situations, the marsh insect 

 being thickly covered with down, the highland insect not ; but Capt. Lang was 

 now satisfied that the two were but one species, Callerebia Scanda,. which was 

 liable to modification by surrounding circumstances. 



Mr. J. Jenner Weir referred to Gnophos pullata, which was found nearly 

 white on the chalk downs, and in fact varied from nearly white to sooty black 

 according to the geological formation of the locality where it occurred. 



Mr. Pascoe mentioned Apion Germari, which when found on Mercurialis 

 perennis was constantly of one form, and when found on Mercurialis 



