Ixx 



larger bush four days later. All were bright yellowish-green 

 forms, confirming the scanty earlier observations. 



So many shoots of the bush on which the single larvae was 

 found (September 17) were stripped bare that many larvae 

 must have been at work. It was a common experience that 

 these and other Sphingid larvae, when reared in confinement 

 and at all crowded, are apt to nibble each other's horns off, 

 and the same was true of the caudal forks of Cenira vinula, 

 and, according to the experience of Mr. A. H. Hamm and 

 Mr. J. Collins, of the elongated true legs and occasionally the 

 caudal processes of Slauropus fagi. But Prof. Poulton had 

 never heard of these injuries being inflicted upon Sphingid 

 larvae in the wild state. It was therefore interesting to find 

 that the horn of the last-remaining ocellatus had been nibbled 

 down to a stump, and the injury probably explained the 

 protracted development of the larva, for the loss of blood 

 caused by these injuries was often considerable. The com- 

 parison between the three larval skins, thrown off at pupation, 

 and exhibited to the meeting, showed the extent of the injury 

 very clearly. 



The period intervening between the cessation of feeding and 

 the throwing off of the larval skin varied from about six to 

 nine days. All three larvae jDroduced male puj)ae. 



The Rev. G. Wheelee remarked that he had many years 

 ago in Berkshire bred S. ocellatus from larvae found on crab, 

 and that only knowing the yellow-green larvae he had supposed 

 on first seeing an illustration of the more usual form that it 

 was wrongly coloured ! 



Wednesday, November 3rd, 1920. 



Comm. J. J. Walker, M.A., R.N., F.L.S., President, in 

 the Chair. 



Election of FeUoivs. 

 Messrs. Thomas Alexander Barns, F.Z.S., 32, Windsor 

 Court, Bayswater, London, W. ; George Bethell, F.R.Hist.S., 

 11, Chandos St., London, W.l; Major John Errol Moritz 



