The Zoologist — July, 1871. 2687 



around, the organisms had collected. A boy at the station first noticed 

 them (i.e. the above spherical masses) falling on his coat, &c., as the rain 

 came on, and shortly after, as the rain fell more heavily, the platform, so 

 much as was not under shelter, — so I was told, — was covered with them. 

 A few had been observed during a storm some days previous to the fall of 

 of which the above is an account." 



Mr. Butler exhibited species of Lepidoptera, upon which experiments had 

 been made by Mr. Meldola, with regard to testing the effects of dyes. The 

 insects were Pieris brassicse and napi, Gonepteryx rhamni, Vanessa urticsB, 

 Pyrameis Atalanta and Arctia caja. The most striking effects were ob- 

 servable in P. napi dyed black, and A. caja dyed metallic-green and magenta. 

 The dyes used were aniline. Mr. Meldola dissolved the dyes in spirits of 

 wine and laid them on with a camel-hair pencil. Not being satisfied with 

 Mr. Meldola 's experiments, Mr. Butler resolved upon performing others on 

 his own account ; but being then ignorant of the system pursued, he dis- 

 solved his dyes in hot water, and discovered that the specimens would not 

 take them. He then made a solution of soda, into which he dipped 

 G. rhamni, and found that the yellow pigment immediately united with the 

 soda, and was discharged into the solution, which it visibly coloured, and he 

 saw no reason why, if a suificient number of individuals were experimented 

 upon, the colour should not be collected and utilised. Colias Edusa and 

 Hyale, Danais Chrysippus and Vanessa urticae were deprived of their natural 

 colours in the same manner. Mr. Butler had experimented upon G. rhamni 

 (dyed blue), C. Edusa and Hyale, Papilio Demoleus, Lycsena Corydon, 

 Danais Chrysippus, Argynnis Adippe and Aglaia, Vanessa urticse, Epi- 

 nephele Jauira, Arctia caja and vilUca. The most successful results were 

 obtained with Danais Chrysippus, deprived of its natural colours and dyed 

 blue, which colour only entered certain scales, whereas magenta, being a 

 faster dye, entered all : and V. urticae, dyed blue in one case, and magenta 

 in another; the latter resembled a typical South- African Junonia, the former 

 a melanitic variety of the same species. The peculiarity in these specimens 

 consisted in certain parts of the wings not taking the dye, leading to the 

 conclusion that the scales are more perfectly closed in these parts. 



Mr. Meldola (who was present as a visitor) remarked that he had also 

 made experiments with alkalines ; the yellow of G. rhamni being removed 

 by soda, and precipitated by the addition of an acid. He possessed an 

 example of Vanessa lo altered to deep mahogany-colour by exposure to the 

 fumes of ammonia. 



Mr. Bicknell exhibited a number of examples of Gonepteryx rhamni, 

 upon which he had experimented with cyanide of potassium, as suggested 

 at the last Meeting. The yellow was changed to orange-red in the parts 

 exposed to the cyanide. 



Mr. F. Smith stated that he had seen a number of wasps that had been- 



