$156 Tue Zootocist—Jury, 1872. 
insects by their burrowing are also raising considerable hillocks. For the pur- 
pose of investigating the matter, with a view to adopt means to exterminate 
the insects, a party of gentlemen left Edinburgh on Saturday morning, and 
proceeded from Granton in the ‘ Pharos’ to examine the state of the island. 
The steamer sailed at 9.30 a.m., and among the gentlemen who embarked 
were the Lord Provost, Provost Watt, of Leith, Bailie Miller, and Sheriff 
Fordyce, Commissioners ; the professional gentlemen were Professors Sir R. 
Christison, Stevenson Macadam, Maclagan, Wyville Thomson, &c. Mr. D. 
Stevenson, engineer to the Board, was also present. When off Crail two 
gentlemen, said to have practical experience in such matters, were received 
on board, after which the steamer proceeded to the island, where the whole 
party landed and remained about two hours. The weather was extremely 
fine, and the sea being smooth there was no difficulty in landing from the 
boats. The steamer returned to Granton about 8 p.m. The result of the 
investigation has not yet been made known.” 
The Secretary read an extract from the ‘ Petites Nouvelles Entomolo- 
giques’ of the 1st of June, respecting the occurrence of numbers of Calosoma 
sycophanta on the body of a man who had hung himself in a forest near 
Rheims. ‘The corpse being in a state of putrefaction, it was considered 
probable that the Calosoma had been attracted by the odour, and it was 
suggested that the bodies of animals suspended in forests might prove traps 
for this insect. 
The President called attention to a communication from M. Guenée, in 
the same journal, respecting Spilosoma sordida. Having bred a female, he 
awaited the appearance of a male in order to obtain a brood of larve. A 
male appeared, but it was a variety having the colours of the female, and 
during three days the sexes showed no desire to pair. At the fourth day a 
male of the ordinary colour emerged, and copulation took place even before 
its wings were fully dry. M. Guenée considered it a remarkable instance of 
the care which Nature exercises to maintain purity of race. But Mr. 
Stainton thought it more probable that the abnormally coloured male was 
incapable of continuing the species, and hence was neglected by the female. 
Mr. Briggs alluded to the infertility which sometimes exists among 
insects; for instance, he once failed to obtain fertile eggs from three pairs 
of Clostera curtula. He further remarked on the intoxicating effects of 
“sugar” upon Noctue, in connection with the reproductive instinct, and 
observed that those insects when under its influence sometimes disregarded 
both species and sex in gratifying their amorous propensities. 
New Part of ‘ Transactions.’ 
Part ii. of the ‘ Transactions’ for 1872 was on the tablee—R. M*L. 
