gentlemen, said to have practical experience in such matters, were received 

 on board, after which the steamer proceeded to the island, where the whole 

 part}^ landed and remained about two hours. The weather was extremely 

 fine, and the sea being smooth there was no difficulty in landing from the 

 boats. The steamer returned to Gran ton about 8 p. m. The result of the 

 investigation has not yet been made known." 



The Secretary read an extract from the ' Petites Nouvelles Entomolo- 

 giques ' of the 1st of June, respecting the occurrence of numbers of Calosoma 

 sycophanta on the body of a man who had hung himself in a forest near 

 PJieims. The corpse being in a state of putrefaction, it was considered 

 probable that the Calosoma had been attracted by the odour, and it was 

 suggested that the bodies of animals suspended in forests might pi-ove traps 

 for this insect. 



The President called attention to a communication from M. Guenee, in 

 the same journal, respecting Spilosoma sordida. Having bred a female, he 

 awaited the appearance of a male in order to obtain a brood of larviB. A 

 male appeared, but it was a variety having the colours of the female, and 

 during three days the sexes showed no desire to pair. At the fourth day a 

 male of the ordinary colour emerged, and copulation took place even before 

 its wings were fully dry. M. Guenee considered it a remarkable in- 

 stance of the care which Nature exercises to maintain purity of race. 

 But Mr. Stainton thought it more probable that the abnormally coloured 

 male was incapable of continuing the species, and hence was neglected by 

 the female. 



Mr. Briggs alluded to the infertility which sometimes exists among 

 insects ; for instance, he once failed to obtain fertile eggs from three pairs 

 of Clostera curtula. He further remarked on the intoxicating effects of 

 ''sugar" upon Nocture, in connection with the rejoroductive instinct, and 

 observed that those insects when under its influence sometimes disregarded 

 both species and sex in gratifying their amorous propensities. 



New Part of ' Transactions.' 

 Part ii. of the ' Transactions' for 1872 was on the table. 



