9082 Entomological Society. 
The Secretary mentioned that the name of Sosxetra, proposed by Mr. F, Walker 
for a new genus of Hymenoptera (Chalcidide), Trans. Ent. Soc. Ser. 3, vol. i. p. 370, 
must, according to the ordinary rules of nomenclature, be sunk, since the same author 
had, at p. 84 of the same volume, described a new genus of Lepidoptera under the 
same name. 
r. Frederick Smith said that in stating the contents of the late Mr. Curtis's 
British Collection, in his Address to the Society at the last Anniversary Meeting, he 
had made a, serious mistake. See ‘Journal of Proceedings’ fur 1863, p. 198. The 
actual number of specimens was as follows:—Coleoptera, 9405 ; Lepidoptera, 7200; 
Hymenoptera, 7715 ; Diptera, 5878 ; Neuroptera, 1165; Hemiptera, 1673 ; Homoptera, 
244 specimens. 
The Rev. Hamlet Clark communicated extracts from a letter recently received 
from Mr. John Gray, who was collecting insects at the Cape de Verdes. The letter 
was partly written from the Island St. Nicholas, under date 22nd of February, 1864, and 
partly from Porto Grande, St. Vincent, 29th of February, 1864. Eight days had been 
spent in St. Nicholas, but as regarded Entomology the, expedition was a failure; it 
was the mid-winter of that country, and more beetles could have been got out of any 
turnip-field on any Christmas-day in England than he had been able to procure there 
from the whole of the vegetation put together. Nevertheless a few nice beetles were 
captured—a handsome Dytiscus, a large tropical Gyrinus (Dineutes?), and eight or 
ten species of Harpalide, taken high up on the mountains (Nebria, &c.). Altogether, 
however, a list could not be made of more than twenty species, of which about five 
were Heteromera, several species of which were in profusion under every stone. There 
were no signs anywhere of abundant insect-life; nothing was seen upon the walls of 
the houses, nothing upon the flowers, nothing anywhere except the Heteromera under 
stones. A few fine spiders had been obtained, and carefully preserved in spirits. 
Mr. Douglas C. Timins, under date of Cannes, March 29, 1864, communicated 
the following notes of his entomological observations made during the winter munths 
in the Departement des Alpes Maritimes :— 
“ During the early part of November Papilio Podalirius and Gonepteryx Cleopatra 
appeared, though in small numbers. Cynthia Cardui and Vanessa Atalanta were 
extremely abundant, and continued on the wing throughout the winter, Orthoptera 
were very numerous in November and December: amongst them I noticed Acridium 
lineola, Gryllis maculata, G. azurea, G. Italica, G. cerulescens, &c., Mantis religiosa 
and others. Cicindelide were very abundant (the common C, campestris and 
C. hybrida, as well as several other species). In the beginning of December I took 
a great many specimens of Pulyommatus Beeticus and the allied P. Telicanus: both 
these species fly round the tops of bushes, very much after the manner of the Theclas, 
between which genus and Polyommatus they form in habits, as well as in appearance, 
a connecting link. P. Unionalis appeared in fir-plantations and Lycena Phleas 
abounded everywhere, as did Lasiommata Ageria, L. Megera, L. Mera, Argyunis Lath- 
onia and Macroglossa Stellatarum. The Jarve of Papilio Machaon and P. Podalirius 
continued feeding until the middle of December, and this was also the case with 
numerous other species which in England assume the pupa state some three munths 
earlier. During January few species of Lepidoptera were seen; Pieris Daplidice, how- 
ever, appeared, and also fresh specimens of Colias Edusa and C. Myrmidone, and 
battered ones of Vanessa Io, V. Atalanta, V. Antiopa, V. Cardui and V. Urtice. 
Examining moss appears to be of little or no use in this locality; probably the 
