( cxxx ) 



Metallic Colour in Chrysids. — Dr. G. B. Longstaff 

 exhibited a small box of Chrysids, and started an interesting 

 discussion on the means by which the metallic coloration was 

 produced, observing that coloration of this kind was probably 

 always due to structure and not to pigment. 



Prof. PouLTON remarked that this metallic coloration in the 

 Chrysids was always situated in chitin, that it was more 

 probable that it was produced by thin plates than by fine 

 lines, but might possibly be due to interference of light by 

 extremely minute particles. 



The President said that there were many more Hymeno- 

 ptera besides the Chrysids which displayed metallic colouring; 

 he had made many experiments on the subject and found that 

 by transmitted light the actual colouring was, in all cases 

 that had come under his notice, of a testaceous red, without 

 any metallic appearance. 



Mr. C. J. Gahan, Mr. F. Merrifield and Dr. T. A. Chap- 

 man also joined in the discussion, the two latter referring to 

 M. Pictet's experiments on the subject. 



Series of Melanargia japygia and M. galatea from 

 Sicily. — Mr. J. Platt Barrett exhibited series of these two 

 species from Sicily. He read Kirby's and Lang's descriptions 

 of M. japygia, and pointed out that the former made no men- 

 tion of a marginal black border on the hindwing and that the 

 latter expressly stated that there was none, whereas in all his 

 Sicilian specimens this black border was prominent. His 

 specimens of M. rjalatea, var. si/racusa7ia, ZelL, were taken at 

 the same time and place, the most striking difference being 

 that in galatea there were three and in japygia four white 

 blotches between the base and apex of the forewings. 



Mr. A. H. Jones observed that the specimens of M. japygia 

 were very near the Hungarian var. suwarovius, Hiib. 



Mr. H. RowLAND-BuowN expressed a doubt whether the 

 specimens were japygia at all, but the Rev. G. Wheeler 

 pointed out the difference in the darker band crossing the 

 underside of the hindwing, tlie upper and lower parts of 

 which are only joined by a corner in M. galatea, while the 

 band is continuous in M. japygia. 



A SCARCE Orthopteron. — Mr. G. T. Porritt exhibited a 



