( cxxvii ) 



emerges from the pupa. It appears to me that the young 

 larva of the African species would have no difficulty in 

 making its way between the two sheets that form the septum, 

 and that they really do so is proved by specimens in the 

 Museum. In one of tliese cases in the Museum there is with 

 it a batch of young Mantids, and there is no sign of any exit 

 except by the top openings. In another similar obtheca a 

 young Mantis which died on emerging has three of its legs 

 still in the opening. 



According to Brongniart the young Mantids, enclosed in a 

 delicate pellicle, emerge from the openings and hang by two 

 threads, and remain so for a day or two before they throw 

 this off. I I'ather doubt this being so in all species. I believe 

 many species throw off this pellicle as soon as they get to the 

 openings. It may be that those in the Museum where this is 

 the case are so because they have emerged under strange cir- 

 cumstances, but certainly the pellicles are often seen left in the 

 openings. Some empty pellicles that I took from the openings 

 of one of these transparent African oothecae had a long single 

 thread. The presence of these pellicles in the openings proves 

 conclusively that the young Mantids make their exit there. 



How these transparent oothecae are formed is a great 

 mystery. They ai-e not uncommon, and perhaps if attention 

 is called to them some one who may be fortunate enough to 

 see one formed will write an account of it. 



A short discussion followed with regard to the formation of 

 the ootheca, in which Mr. Gahan, Dr. Chapman, Mr. Janson, 

 and the President took part. 



MUllerian Associations from Costa Rica, Venezuela 

 AND Brazil. — Mr. W. J. Kaye exhibited a number of butter- 

 flies with one moth belonging to the principal Miillerian 

 Association as found in Costa Rica. Attention was especially 

 drawn to the moth, a species of Castnia only recently dis- 

 covered, and named by Mr. Schaus — C. carilla. This Castnia 

 was particularly interesting from its small size and general 

 Heliconine or Ithomiine outline. In colouring, while in some 

 respects it was like the Pierine Dismm'phia sororna $, in others 

 it was more like the Nymphaline of the group Eresia alsina. It 

 was pointed out that in Costa Rica the centre of this associa- 



