9702 Entomological Society. 



communicate a monograph of the small but little-known genus Thais, based on per- 

 sonal observations of the species composing it in their various stages. Few as are the 

 species, their synonymy is completely confused. It seems to me that recent authors, 

 and especially i\Jr. Kirby, in bis work on European Butterflies, have rather hastily 

 sunk several to the rank of varieties which a careful personal study would have led 

 them to retain as species. But it is only by observing the living insects that we can 

 arrive at the trulb in matters of this kind; and if those who have the opportunity 

 would carefully study a single genus each in all the stages of the insects composing 

 it, much of the confusion which exists among the European Lepidoptera might be 

 cleared up. I have myself endeavoured to do this with the genera Thais and Zygaena, 

 and hope soon to submit the results of my labuuis to the Society." 



Mr. \V. F. Kirby remarked that, in the work referred to, he had in almost all cases 

 followed Staudinger as an authority. 



Dr. Armitage (who was present as a visitor) exhibited the case of a female Oiketicns, 

 into the open end of which were simultaneously thiust the bodies of three males, 

 manifestly with a view to copulation with the single female within. The specimens had 

 been killed and were shown in situ; they were fioin Monte Video, and had been deter- 

 mined by Mr. F. Walker to be Oiketicns Kiibyi. 



Prof. Westwood doubted whether the insect was 0. Kiibyi, the case of which was, 

 according to his recollection, very difl'erent in structure; he believed that it was the 

 habit of the females of this genus never to quit the case, or rather, never to leave the 

 pupa-skin, but to turn the body round within the pupa-skin so as to bring the sexual 

 part in contact with that of the male; in the present case it would appear that copula- 

 tion had not actually taken place, but the males were destroyed in that position by 

 reason of their extended penes having been caui;ht in the silken or woolly matter 

 which formed the interior lining of the case, and their escape thus prevented. 



Mr. Dunning mentioned that, in the year 1850, when strolling in the vicinity of 

 Storthes Hall, Huddersfield, in company with Mr. Inchbald, they had found two 

 males of Micropleryx calthella simultaueously in sexual contact with a single female: 

 unfortunately neither gentleman had any entomological apparatus with him, and the 

 specimens could not be secured ; they were, however, carried for upwards of a mile on 

 the dandelion-flower on which they were reposing, but after this interval the contact 

 was discontinued, and the moths flew away. (See Zool. pp. 2501, 2830, 2858, as to 

 this species frequenting the dandelion and other flowers.) 



Mr. Bates read a letter from Mr. B. D. Walsh, of Rock Island, Illinois, dated 

 April 22, 1865, from which the following are extracts: — 



" I have read your paper on mimetic Lepidoptera with the greatest interest. I am 

 naturally of a sceptical turn of mind, and apt to require rigid proof of everything; 

 but although I had rather a prepossession against the truth of your theory before 

 I commenced reading, I am now quite convinced that you are perfectly correct. 

 Judging from your figure of Leptalis Nehemia, the resemblance in shape of wings — 

 which I find to be a pretty constant character in Lepidoptera — is, if possible, still 

 more remarkable than the resemblance in coloration between Leptalis and Ithomia. 



" We have in this country a somewhat similar mimetic analogy between Danais 

 plenippus and Limenitis disippus, insomuch that a certain Professor in a popular book 

 on insects figures the latter under the name of the former! They do not fly in com- 



