of Crambus, and especially to C. perlellus, of wbicli it possessed the pearly 

 lustre. 



Mr. F. Smith stated that he had received a further communication from 

 Mr. J. T. Moggridge, now at Mentone, respecting the storing of grain by 

 ants of the genus Aphenogaster, as mentioned at the meeting on the 1st of 

 January. Mr. Moggridge had confined a colony of the ants in a glass 

 vessel, so as to observe their habits, and he was able to confirm his 

 previously expressed belief that they feed upon the stored grain. 



Mr. H. W. Bates exhibited a number of British species of the genus 

 Carabus, arranged side by side with the species which were their nearest 

 representatives in Eastern Siberia, as illustrations of the wide difference 

 which exists between the Coleopterous fauna of Eastern Siberia and of 

 Western Europe. He added that of about fifty species of Carabus 

 inhabiting Eastern Siberia, only one (C. granulatus) was found also in 

 Western Europe, the other forty-nine being quite distinct. He recalled 

 the attention of the Society to the wide acceptance which the zoo-geogra- 

 phical division of the globe, as propounded by Dr. Sclater, had received 

 amongst zoologists. An amendment of these divisions had been since 

 proposed by Prof. Huxley, who, however, did not change that portion of 

 Sclater's generalization which concerned the subject now under consideration, 

 and which established the whole of Europe and Northern Asia as one great 

 division, termed the " Paleearctic." This division appeared to apply very 

 well to the classes of birds and mammals, but not to insects, as was shown 

 by the great amount of difference existing in the genus Carabus and in 

 other genera of Coleoptera. Each species exhibited was accompanied 

 by that to which it was most nearly allied. Thus C. nitens was repre- 

 sented in Eastern Siberia by C. tuberculosus ; C. clathratus by C. 

 canahculatus ; C. arvensis by C. conciliatus ; C. monilis by C. regaHs, 

 &c. No greater amount of difference existed between Northern America 

 and the Palsearctic region, although the former had been separated as a 

 distinct region, termed the " Nearctic." In conclusion, Mr. Bates remarked 

 that he considered no philosophical importance could be attached to vague 

 general divisions of the earth. What was really important was to ascertain 

 the districts which presented a large amount of peculiar forms, and then to 

 investigate the causes and origin of this peculiarity in each case. 



In the course of the discussion that followed. Prof. Westvvood remarked 

 upon the desirability of ascertaining the range of each species, and of 

 determining the amount of variation or modification presented by it in 

 different districts : and he called attention to the similarity between the 

 insects of Eastern Siberia, Japan, and Western America. Dr. Sharp said 

 that the Spanish Carabi were mostly peculiar to the Iberian peninsula, 

 though some were species known to have a wide range, but modified in this 

 district. He considered that species quite peculiar to mountains were 



