Mr. F. P. Pascoe read the following: — 



" The Duke of Argyle, in a letter to ' Nature' of December 7th, dated 

 from Cannes (Nov. 29), records a most remarkable instance of mimicry in 

 a moth. He describes it as ' a very handsome species, with an elaborate 

 pattern of light and dark chocolate-brown. But the margins of the wings, 

 which were deeply waved or dentated, had a lustrous yellow colour, like a 

 brilliant gleam of light.' Some movement ' gave it alarm.' ' It then turned 

 slightly round, gave a violent jerk to its wings, and instantly became 

 invisible.' The Duke on further examination found that these 'splendid 

 margins of the fore wings . . . had to be concealed ; and so, by an effort 

 that required the exertion of special muscles, these margins were folded 

 down — covered up — and hidden out of sight. The remainder of the wings 

 were so crumpled up that they imitated exactly the dried and withered 

 leaves around.' It will be observed that the writer speaks of 'special 

 muscles,' but a special adaptation of the nervures in the way of joints 

 would also be necessary. It is unfortunate that the moth was not secured. 

 Mr. Butler has, he tells me, no idea of the species. The Duke is an 

 observer, otherwise there might be thought to be some error in the 

 description of what really took place." 



Mr. M'Lachlau and Mr. Stainton made some remarks thereon, the 

 former considering that either Phlogophora meticulosa or Calocampa vetusta 

 was the moth alluded to. Mr. Stainton thought it probable that Macro- 

 glossa stellatarum was referred to ; he incidentally remarked that he could 

 hardly believe it possible that there were no butterflies at Cannes in 

 November, as stated in the Duke's letter. 



Mr. E. A. Fitch exhibited a specimen of Rhynchium parentissimum, 

 Sauss., taken at Ambarawa, Java, by Ludeking. In a recent memoir 

 on the Eumenidce of the Indian Archipelago, published in the A.nn. Soc. 

 Ent. France for 1882, M. Maiudron had considered this species to be a 

 variety of R. Jmmorrhoidale, Sauss. (I.e. pp. 277 — 280); from a study of 

 his second plate {I.e., pi. iv.) this appeared impossible, but Mr. Fitch 

 pointed out that the exterior recurrent nervure of the fore wing was present 

 in the specimen exhibited, and was doubtless erroneously omitted in the 

 otherwise beautiful figure (Ann. Soc. Ent. Fr., (Hh ser., vol. ii., pi. 4). 

 A variety of Eumenes circinalis, Fabr., and Vespa, n. s. ?, were also 

 exhibited from the same locality. 



Paper read. 

 Mr. Louis Peringuey communicated " Notes on three Paussi," giving an 

 interesting account of the habits of P. lineatus, Thnbg., P. Linnei, Westw., 

 and P. Bunneisteri, Westw., as observed at the Cape of Good Hope, and in 

 many specimens kept for some time in confinement. 



