112 



it appearing much exhausted by its late effort. All the masses of cells that I have 

 seen have been placed upwards, but should a bee select a hole somewhat circular and 

 confined, there I think the bee would make her cells not only on the ground surface, 

 but as they increased would go on until some were placed downwards ; but this would 

 be an extreme case, and form an exception to the general rule.' " 



Mr. Stainton exhibited a species of Lithocolletis, which he had hitherto confounded 

 with the true L. Frolichiella, but which was yet quite distinct ; and read the follow- 

 ing note : — 



" Mr. Allis suggested to me last December, that it was not improbable we had 

 two species under the name of Frolichiella, and a further examination of more speci- 

 mens has convinced me of the correctness of his suggestion. Naturally, on first hear- 

 ing of L. Nicellii, my idea was that it would prove to be our other species, but in this 

 I was mistaken. Both are indeed smaller than Frolichiella ; but whereas Nicellii is 

 paler than Frolichiella, our new species is darker. 



" For this species I have much pleasure in proposing the name of Dunningiella, 

 in honour of Mr. J. W. Dunning, of Leeds, whose extreme quickness and perseverance 

 give promise of great doings in that branch of science called Micro-Lepidopterology. 



" L. Dunningiella is smaller and darker than Frolichiella (yet not so small as Ni- 

 cellii), the anterior wings are narrower, especially above the anal angle, where in Fro- 

 lichiella they are very broad ; the black scales of the apex of the wing are also more 

 collected, thus resembling Nicellii, and the hinder marginal line is much more distinct 

 and darker than in Frolichiella, where it is barely perceptible. 



" From Nicellii, fine specimens of Dunningiella may be readily distinguished by 

 their dark colour ; worn specimens are less easily separated, but the longer and nar- 

 rower anterior wings, less brilliant markings, and the clouded appearance of the ground 

 colour, are sufficient characters to enable one eventually to separate them. 



" Dunningiella was the species T described in the ' Zoologist' (2088), under the 

 name of Frolichiella, and is in most collections under that name. It probably is at- 

 tached to hazel or oak. Of the true Frolichiella I have a specimen taken ' among 

 alders on Askham Bog, near York, May 31, 1849,' (Zool. 2897)." 



Mr. Stainton read a translation from the Silesian ' Bericht iiber die Arbeiten der 

 Entomologischen Sektion' for 1850, of Professor Siebold's "Remarks on the Psychidae." 

 In this paper, Siebold alludes to a former suspicion of his that " alternation of genera- 

 tion " did not occur among the Aphides only ; and affirms that he is now certain the 

 same phenomenon occurs among the Psychida?, he having discovered it in the Talepo- 

 riae. He had particularly investigated the history of T. Lichenella, ZelL, and found 

 that for several generations fertile eggs were produced by the females (or nurses as un- 

 der these circumstances they are called), without male intercourse. It had also been 

 observed that from some spiral cases found in Germany and Italy, apparently belonging 

 to a Psyche, nothing but vermiform females were produced, which again laid fertile eggs 

 without male intercourse ; and indeed the male of this species was not hitherto known. 



Mr. J. E. Gray expressed his dissent from the theory of " alternation of genera- 

 tion,'' and cautioned young entomologists against believing in such a doctrine because 

 it was advocated by a physiologist of so great a reputation as Siebold. 



The President observed that M. Guerin had known an example of a female Bom- 

 byx Mori having produced fertile eggs without male intercourse ; and it was recorded 

 that a similar circumstance had occurred among the Sphingidas. 



