8914 Insects. 
Since that Meeting T have had the pleasure of seeing many more specimens of the 
Trish insect, some of them bred, and I am now more convinced that I am correct in 
the opinion I gave at that Meeting, and I have not the least doubt but that when the 
larva of the Irish insect is seen by those who know the larva of D. carpophaga, it will 
be found identical with the larva of that species. If it is a good species, how is it 
that none of our great English entomologists will point out the difference between the 
two insects? for I cannot believe in a species without distinet characters, which I have 
looked for, but have failed to find. I grant that the Irish specimens differ in colour; 
they are darker, and have little, if any, of that ochreous colour which we find more or 
Jess in the English specimens; but this, to my mind, is not sufficient to make a spe- 
cies, for when we look at the variety of colour, from light yellow to dark brown or dark 
ochreous-brown in the English specimens, we may surely go one shade further, and 
then we have the colour of the Irish insect, but when we come to compare the two 
insects in the markings, they are exactly the same, and not a mark on one that is not 
to be found on the other. They feed in the same plant, at the same time of the year, 
and appear together. Another thing in favour of their identity is, that though 
Mr. Birchall and Mr. Cooke have taken the species in Ireland and bred it from larve, 
they have neither taken nor bred the ordinary form of D. carpophaga in or from 
Ireland. This seems very strange to me, for I believe that wherever the food-plant of 
D. carpophaga grows the insect has been taken. Again, Mr. Birchall gave me a 
description of the larva he bred his Trish insect from, and he described the larva of 
D. carpophaga exactly. I have now stated why I think the Irish insect only a 
variety of D. carpophaga. I have freely given my opinion on this subject, and shall 
be glad to hear others give theirs. I am aware that, after all, I may be mistaken, and 
if, when the question is re-opened, I should be wrong, I shall at once own my error. 
In giving our opinions we avail ourselves of the advantages we possess in having 
a Society amongst ourselves, but at the same time let me say that when we give our 
opinion let us by all means respect the opinions and prejudices of others, and whatever 
we say or do let us say or do it without ill feeling towards any one. J believe we may 
all express an opinion without giving offence to any gentleman, if we do so in a generous 
spirit, and without trying to make ourselves great at the expense of others. This is a sad 
mistake, and will always return to the man who attempts to do so; for depend upon it 
that no man ever made himself great by taking any credit to himself that belonged to 
another. Now, in all fairness, and with the best feeling, may I ask that some of our 
leading entomologists in England will be kind enough to point out the difference 
between the Irish insect avd the English D. carpophaga. If they will give us some 
distinctive character I am quite sure they will be conferring a great boon on us and 
Science generally. I will not now say anything about the attempted difference 
being made out in the ‘ Zoologist’ (Zool. 8292), for the differences pointed out 
apply as well to the dark English specimens of D. carpophaga as they do to 
the so-called D. capsophila, and the gentleman had then only seen one speci- 
men, which I think is not sufficient for anyone to give an opinion upon. I must 
confess that I am very much disappointed this evening, for I was led to expect, 
from what is printed on the cover of the ‘ Zovlogist’ for the present month, that many 
members of the Society would protest against the decision of the Meeting held in 
December last. I was in hopes that we should have had some letters from those 
members who do not agree with the decision of that Meeting, stating the reason why 
they do not; and of course they would have been expected to point out the difference 
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