March 1, 1869. 



H. W. Bates, Esq., President, in the chair. 



Donations to the Library. 

 The following donations were announced, and thants voted to the donors: — 

 ' Proceeding's of the Eoyal Society,' No. 108; presented by the Society. ' Biillettino 

 della Societa Entomologica Italiaua,' Anno primo, Fascicolo I.; by the Society. 

 'Coleopterologische Hefle,' Part iv. ; by the Editor, Baron E. von Harold. ' Bidrag 

 til Kundskab om Christianiafjordens Fauna,' af Dr. Michael Sars; by the Author. 

 'Tlie Zoologist,' for March; by the Editor. ' The Entomologist's Monthly Maga- 

 zine,' for March ; by the Editors. 



Election of Member, 

 Charles Home, Esq., of 3, Bernard Villas, Upper Norwood, was ballotted for, and 



elected a Member. 



Exhibitions, S/-c. 



Mr. Bond exhibited specimens of Heliothis armiger from the Isle of Wight, Java 

 and Australia. The insect had been taken in Java by Dr. Horsfield; the Australian 

 specimens were captured by Dr. Madden. 



Mr. W. C. Boyd exhibited dwarfs of Vanessa Urticse, Smerinthus Populi, Saturnia 

 Carpini and Pygsera Bucephala, all bred in 1868, by Mr. Davis, of Waltham Cross, 

 and scarcely more than half the ordinary size of the species : this was attributed to 

 rapidity of development, owing to the heat of ihe summer. 



Dr. Wallace exhibited a number of Bombyx Yamamai and their cocoons: during 

 last season he bred about fifty of them at Colchester, and found them to vary con- 

 siderably in colour: the moth was in the habit of performing summersaults and 

 mancEuvres, like those of Cilix or Limacodes when netted. Also Bombyx Pernyi, 

 another oak-feeding species from China, of which he had received through the 

 Foreign Office a number of cocoons, from which the moths were hatching, and one 

 had laid about 270 eggs: he hoped to make some useful experiments with this 

 species, which like Bombyx Cynthia was double-brooded, but would probably be 

 found to require a dry climate and warm soil. Also English-bred specimens of the 

 American Saturnia Cecropia. Dr. Wallace made some remarks on the progress of 

 sericiculture in this country and the colonies: what was principally required was an 

 experiment on a large scale to test the commercial value of the product: with this 

 view a gentleman in Paris desired to purchase 500 fbs. of cocoons, for which he was 

 willing to give 25(1. per tb. 



Dr. Wallace also exhibited a moth which, on the 18th of January, 1869, he 

 observed on the window of his room; bul, under the impression that it was a small 

 female of the common Emperor moth, left it undisturbed. On the 19th he noticed 

 that the antenna were pectinate, and thinking it still to be a female Saturnia Carpini 

 with the anlennsB of a male, he killed it and set it out. Closer examination showed 

 that it was not an Emperor moth at all, and he at length bethought him of a parcel 

 of cocoons, which he had received in 1867 from Dr. Hooker, of a Chinese Bombyx 

 which was said to yield the "gut" of fishermen. (See Proc. Ent. Soc. 1867, p. civ.). 

 On looking at the cocoons, none of which were productive during 1868, it was found 



