( xxxiii ) 



of Coleoptera which he had lately been studying. He maintained that 

 where races and varieties were found to interbreed they should be sunk as 

 species ; hybrids doubtless occurred, but they were very exceptional. He 

 especially referred to the Telephoridce, Coccinellida, and Chrysomelidce, 

 stating that in the numerous unions he had witnessed he never saw or 

 heard of two distinct species occurring in cop. 



With respect to this latter remark, Mr. Elwes stated that in the Vienna 

 Museum there existed specimens of Argynnis Lathonia and A. Dia which 

 had been captured in cop. by Mann. 



Mr. Edward B. Poulton read some " Notes upon or suggested by the 

 colours, markings, and protective attitudes of certain Lepidopterous larvae 

 and pupae and of a phytophagous Hyraenopterous larva." His remarks 

 were illustrated by the exhibition of coloured drawings of varieties of the 

 larvae of various Sphingida, &c. 



Mr. R. Meldola said that he would, in the first place, congratulate the 

 Society upon having acquired a new member who had taken up a line of 

 work so much neglected by English entomologists. He regretted that the 

 lateness of the hour precluded the discussion of the paper with anything 

 approaching the completeness that it merited. He would only say that in 

 the main he agreed with most of the conclusions at which Mr. Poulton had 

 arrived. With reference to the use of the remaining traces of the subdorsal 

 line in the caterpillar of Smerinthus ocellaius, Mr. Meldola stated that the 

 explanation offered was most ingenious, and one that he was fully prepared 

 to accept. When working at this particular subject he had felt convinced 

 that the residual subdorsal line which exists also in the adult larva of Sphinx 

 convolvuli might in some cases be of use in aiding disguise, and he had 

 recorded such an instance (Chcerocampa cupensis, Linn.) in the English 

 edition of Weismann's ' Studies,' on the authority of Mr. Roland Trimen. 

 Respecting the function of the rust-coloured spots on Smerinthus larvae, he 

 stated that Weismann's view, that these were the rudimentary beginnings 

 of the coloured edges of the oblique stripes, was founded upon observations 

 on S. tili(B in Germany, in which species the spots sometimes run together 

 so as to form such a coloured edge. It unfortunately happened that the 

 ontogeny of species with pronounced coloured edges to the oblique stripes, 

 such as Sphinx ligustri, had not been completely made out. By this means 

 alone could the problem be attacked with any hope of success ; and, as 

 far as the present evidence went, Mr. Meldola was inclined to accept 

 Mr. Cameron's view, that these spots might assist in concealing the cater- 

 pillar by representing galls or blotches on the leaves of the food-plant. 

 The fact that the majority of individuals first acquire the ferruginous spots 

 in the fifth stage is in favour of the view that this character is a recent one, 

 and not an ancient one being lost. Were the latter the case the spots 

 would invariably appear earlier in the ontogeny. The curious attitudes 



