¥; 
Schmetterlings mit einem Raupenkopfe,” and which related to a female 
example of Hypogymna dispar. 
Mr. F. Smith mentioned that Prof. Owen had narrated to him how the 
hieroglyphic inscriptions on the ancient monuments in Egypt are obliterated 
by being filled in with mud composed of fine sand used by a common Egyp- 
tian wasp, Rhynchium brunneum, in forming its nests. And in connection 
with this subject he exhibited an example of the same wasp, which had been 
found by Dr. Birch when unrolling a mummy, there being every reason to 
believe that the insect had remained in the position in which it was found, 
ever since the last rites were paid to the ancient Egyptian. 
Mr. Smith further mentioned that he had recently discovered a passage 
in ‘ Pepys’s Diary,’ which was, probably, the earliest record of the use of 
observatory bee-hives. The passage runs thus :—‘‘ May 5, 1665. After 
dinner to Mr. Evelyn’s; he being abroad we walked in his garden, anda 
lovely and noble ground he hath: and among other rarities, a hive of bees 
' which, being hived in glass, you may see the bees making their honey and 
combs mighty pleasantly.” 
Papers read. 
Mr. Miller read a paper on the “ Dispersal of Non-migratory Insects by 
Atmospheric Agencies,” in which he had collected together many records in 
support of his opinion that various atmospheric phcenomena played a con- 
siderable part in the wide dispersal of insects, and explained many points 
connected with their present geographical distribution. 
In the discussion which followed, the President said he was quite of 
opinion that currents of air were the chief agencies in the peopling of 
oceanic islands with the smaller forms of animal life; though, no doubt, 
floating timber had the same effect, but in a lesser degree. 
Mr. Bates and Mr. Pascoe asked how it was that the Coleopterous fauna 
of the opposite sides of high mountains, and mountain-chains, presented 
such marked differences, if their insect-inhabitants were liable to be carried 
over the summits by atmospheric agencies? And Mr. F. Smith, Mr. 
Pascoe, and Mr. M‘Lachlan remarked on the extreme difficulty of natu- 
ralising insects in localities which apparently present no important 
climatic differences from those in which the species experimented upon 
are abundant. 
Mr. Miiller, agreeing with the suggestion thrown out by several members, 
explained this by the hypothesis, that though many individuals are dispersed 
in the manner he indicated, yet, owing to causes difficult to comprehend, 
the strangers are unable to cope with the pre-existing denizens of the 
locality, and thus only very few are able to maintain their position, and 
most of these die out before they are able to give birth to new varieties or 
incipient species. 
