2070 The Zoologist— March, 1870. 



Prize Essays. 



It was announced that the Council offered two Prizes of the value of Five 

 Guineas each to the Authors (whether Members of the Society, or not) of 

 Essays, of sufficient merit and drawn up from personal observation, on the 

 Anatomy or Economy of any insect or group of insects. The Essays must be 

 sent to the Secretary, at 1 2, Bedford Kow, indorsed with mottoes, on or before 

 the 30th of November, 1870, when they will be referred to a Committee to 

 decide upon their merits : each must be accompanied by a sealed letter indorsed 

 with the motto adopted by its author, and inclosing his name and address. 

 The Prize Essays shall become the property of, and will be published by, the 

 Society. 



Exhibitions, <&c. 



Mr. Bond exhibited four specimens of Satyrus Semele, in each of which the 

 marking and coloration of the wings were partly of the male and partly of the 

 female character. 



Prof. Westwood e.xhibited two females of Anthocharis Cardamiues, each of 

 which had a dash of the orange-colour of the male on one of its fore wings ; 

 also a female of Polyommatus Adonis, the left fore wing of which was dashed 

 with blue like the male ; also a male of Siderone Isidora, one side of which was 

 partially coloured like the female. 



The President suggested that the existence of specimens of this kind might 

 be explained on Mr. Darwin's theory of sexual differences. The hypothesis was 

 that the sexes of a species, though now differently coloured, were once alike ; 

 the divergence from the original type was sometimes in one sex, and in one 

 direction onl}' ; at other times in both sexes, and in opposite directions ; and it 

 might be that these curious cases of the union of opposite sexual colours were 

 only instances of a partial reversion, or modifications of reversion, to the oinginal 

 ancestral type. 



Mr. Bond, on behalf of Dr. Wallace, exhibited cocoons from various parts of 

 the world of Bombyx Yama-mai and Anthei"£ea Pernii. 



Mr. Staintou exhibited a large bo.x-full of Micro-Lepidoptera, each specimen 

 being separately labelled in the manner commended by Mr. Bates in his 

 Anniversary Address, so as to show the locality and date of capture. This led 

 to a lengthy conversation on the utility of labelling captures, the minutiae which 

 it was necessary or desirable to record, and the readiest mode of doing it ; in 

 which conversation the President, Prof. Westwood, Mr. Pascoe, Mr. Fry, Mr. 

 Janson and others took part. 



Prof. Westwood exhibited a Hymen optero us insect, belonging to the family 

 Cynipidaj, remarkable for its globose head and long neck, the neck not being 

 simple, but possessing on each side a membranaceous wing or dilatation, 

 emarginate and deflexed ; the basal joint of the antennae, and the femora and 

 tibiae also had membranaceous dilatations. The specimen was brought to 

 tliis count)'y by the President, and was captured in the Sulu Islands. 



