2564 The Zoologist — April, 1871. 



may be mildly called a "hoax," but I thiuk our language supplies a more 

 explicit term. — E. Newman.] 



Proceedings of tbe Entomological Society. 



February 20, 1871. — A. R. Wallace, Esq., President, in the chair. 



Exhibitions, dc. 



Mr. Bond exhibited a hybrid between a male Borabyx Pcrnyi and a 

 female B. Yamamai, bred by Dr. Wallace. In colour it more resembled 

 that of its male, in shape that of its female, parent. He also exhibited a 

 crippled example of Bombyx Mori, likewise bred by Dr. Wallace, stiU 

 retaining the larval head. 



Mr. M'Lachlan called attention to what was, in all probability, the first 

 record of a similar arrest of development, viz. a paper in ' Der Natur- 

 forscher' for 1781, by 0. F. Miiller, intituled, " Entdeckung eines 

 Schmetterlings mit einera Raupenkopfe," and which related to a female 

 example of Hypogymna dispar. 



Mr. F. Smith mentioned that Prof. Owen had narrated to him how the 

 hieroglyphic inscriptions on the ancient monuments in Egypt are obliterated 

 by being filled in with mud composed of fine sand used by a common Egyp- 

 tian wasp, Rhynchium brunueum, in forming its nests. And in connection 

 with this subject he exhibited an example of the same wasp, which had been 

 found by Dr. Birch when unrolling a mummy, there being every reason to 

 believe that the insect had remained in the position in which it was found, 

 ever since the last rites were paid to the ancient Egyptian. 



Mr. Smith further mentioned that he had recently discovered a passage 

 in ' Pepys's Diary,' which was, probably, the earliest record of the use of 

 observatory bee-hives. The passage runs thus: — "May 5, 1665. After 

 dinner to Mr. Evelyn's ; he being abroad we walked in his garden, and a 

 lovely and noble ground he hath : and among other rarities, a hive of bees 

 which, being hived in glass, you may see the bees making their honey and 

 combs mighty pleasantly." 



Papers read. 



Mr. Miiller read a paper on the " Dispersal of Non-migratory Insects by 

 Atmospheric Agencies," in which he had collected together many records in 

 support of his opinion that various atmospheric phoeuomena played a con- 

 siderable part in the wide dispersal of insects, and explained many points 

 connected with their present geographical distribution. 



In tbe discussion which followed, the President said he was quite of 

 opinion that currents of air were the chief agencies in the peopling of 



