46 



Mr. Harrington in his letter, it is evident that the distance from the nearest land, 

 that of the small island of Fernana Noronha, was at least 240 miles, and from the 

 coast of Brazil, 350 miles. The small island alluded to is only about two leagues in 

 length, and is about seventy leagues distant from the mainland of Brazil. Facts so 

 well authenticated as the foregoing on the flight of insects are very interesting, and it 

 is well that they should be recorded, although at present, the names of the insects 

 which have ventured out so far to sea, or have been driven by necessity to undertake 

 a long flight over such an extent of water, cannot be ascertained. I hope hereafter 

 to procure from Mr. Harrington more information on this point, which I shall have 

 pleasure iu communicating to the society. 



The President observed that once when crossing the channel to Dublin in very 

 calm weather, the vessel was surrounded the whole distance by insects of all kinds, of 

 which as most conspicuous he had noticed the common white butterfly, which invaria- 

 bly flew close to the water. 



Mr. Bond stated that the larvae of Acheron tia Atropos had been unusually common 

 in Cambridgeshire this autumn, and that two had squeaked audibly while yet in the 

 pupa state. 



The President announced that Part 3, of Vol. i., new series, of the Transactions, 

 was on the table. 



January 6, 1851. 

 G. R. Waterhouse, Esq., President in the chair. 



The following donations were announced, and thanks ordered to be given to the 

 donors : The ' Zoologist ' for January ; presented by the Editor. The ' Journal of 

 the Royal Agricultural Society of England,' vol. xi. part 2 ; presented by the Society. 

 'Annates de la Societe Linneenne de Lyon,' 1847-9; presented by the Society. 

 ' Memoires de l'Academie des Sciences, Belles-Lettres et Arts, de Lyon ;' ' Classe 

 des Lettres,' torn. i. et ii. ; ' Classe des Sciences,' torn. i. et ii. ; presented by the Society. 

 ' Annales des Sciences Naturelles d' Agriculture et d'Industrie de Lyon,' tome xi. 1848, 

 1849 and 1850 ; presented by the Society. ' List of the Specimens of British Animals 

 in the collection of the British Museum ; Part v. Lepidoptera, by J. F. Stephens, Esq.' ; 

 presented by the Author. Six specimens of Pterostichus oblongo-punctatus ; presented 

 by the Rev. C. Kuper, from Trellich, Monmouthshire. Specimens of the rare Formica 

 cunicularia, male ; Mononycus Pseudacori, and Vespa Crabro, male and female ; pre- 

 sented by F. Smith, Esq. 



T. A. Preston, Esq., of Brampton Place, Bexley, was balloted for and elected a 

 Subscriber. 



Mr. Douglas, on the part of Mr. Allis, exhibited a specimen of the rare Neuropte- 

 rous insect Drepanepteryx Phalamoides, taken by him at Bowness. 



