2152 Thk Zoologist — May, 1870. 



distinct species, even though (which he did not admit) the perfect butterflies 



were undistiuguishable. 



Mr. Butler was not acquainted with the larvae of Argynnis Adippe and 



Niobe, and his suggestion that the two forms were one species was made from 



observation of the perfect insects only ; he had found the two flying together, 



and the sexes pursuing one another : he thought the differences between the ^ 



buttei-flies, without amounting to specific distinction, might be accounted for by 



differences in the external conditions to which they were subject. An instance 



of this kind had lately come under his notice ; in India, Capt. Lang had been 



in the habit of taking what at the time of capture he thought were two distinct 



butterflies, one in marshy land, the other in dry situations, the marsh insect 



being thickly covered with down, the highland insect not ; but Capt. Lang was 



now satisfied that the two were but one species, Callerebia Scauda, which was ^ 



liable to modification by surrounding circumstances. 



Mr. Stainton mentioned an instance of dimorphism in the larva state ; a form 

 of larva of Sphinx Atropos sometimes occurred with the ordinary markings 

 obliterated and with only a few whitish blotches in front, so that there was 

 really nothing but the shape of the anal horn by which the larva could be 

 identified as Atropos : he had known of the occurrence of about twenty of these 

 abnormal larvae in the last twenty yeai-s ; and there was no perceptible difference 

 in the imago. 



Mr. J. Jenner Weir referred to Gnophos pullata, which was found nearly 

 white on the chalk downs, and in fact varied from nearly white to sooty black 

 according to the geological formation of the locality where it occurred. 



Mr. Pascoe mentioned Apion Germari, which when found on Mercurialis 

 perennis was constantly of one form, and when found on Mercurialis 

 tomentosus was constantly of another form ; yet no one hitherto had doubted 

 the specific identity of the two forms. 



Mr. Butler recalled the fact that, on the same plant of golden-rod (Solidago 

 virgaurea), larvae of Mamestra persicarise might often be found of three or four 

 different colours. 



Mr. Henry Moore had once found larvae of Eupithecia virgaureata feeding 

 on the petals of a crimson dahlia, and they assumed a crimson hue, in lieu of 

 the ordinary ochreous with sepia-coloured markings. 



Paper read. 

 The following paper was read : — " Notes on the Butterflies described by 

 Linnaeus," by Mr. W. F. Kirby. 



New Part of ' Transactions.' 

 The first part of the ' Transactions for the year 1870 ' was on the Table. — 

 J. W. D. 



