PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 311 
own and other collectors’ work in Asia Minor. Mr. Elwes remarked that 
nothing in the situation, climate, or vegetation of Asia Minor would lead 
one to expect much difference in its insect fauna from that of other parts of 
the Mediterranean region; but notwithstanding that large parts of the 
country are still quite unexplored, the material at hand is enough to show 
that Asia Minor probably contains a larger number of species of Rhopalocera 
than any other part of the Palearctic region. ‘The majority of the species in 
this collection are identical with, or very nearly allied to, those of Southern 
and Central Europe; but in addition to the European species, of which not 
many are absent, are a number peculiar to Asia Minor, or only found to the 
east of it. As regards the species, the most remarkable facts are the large 
number of Lycena and Satyrus, no less than forty-three of the former and 
eighteen of the latter being included, so that about two-sevenths of the 
whole number is made up of these genera, which appear to reach their 
highest development in the country. ‘The only dominant genus in Europe 
which is not well represented in Asia Minor is Hrebia, of which there are 
only four kinds against twenty in some districts of Central Europe; other 
species, however, probably remain to be discovered. 
Dr. Wallace exhibited a collection of Lepidoptera made by his son in 
the United States of Columbia. 
Mr. W. L. Distant exhibited a West African specimen of the large 
water-bug, Hydrocyrius Columbia, Spin., common also to Madagascar and 
the Neotropical region. Similar in general appearance to the genus 
Belostoma, Hydrocyrius is recognised by the possession of two fore tarsal 
claws. Mr. Distant thought the insect was probably a denizen of rapid 
currents, and by its tarsal claws thus prevented itself from being swept 
away. 
The Secretary exhibited a specimen, in alcohol, of a trichopterous insect, 
showing tracheo-branchiw, sent from Brazil by Dr. Fritz Miiller, who 
communicated a note concerning it. 
Dr. Wallace remarked, in reply to an inquiry of Mr. Sheppard’s about 
his silk-worm experiments, that he had experimented with nearly every 
kind of silk-worm which had been introduced into Europe, and that he had 
come to the conclusion that the only one which would pay to cultivate in 
this country was Bombyx Mori. It was true that the A ilanthus moth and 
others would produce a silk; but inasmuch as manufacturers, brokers and 
silk-merchants had invested large sums in the produce of B. Mori, they 
were not disposed to look with an eye of favour upon any other produce, 
which certainly would require much alteration in machinery and in the 
arrangements for business now extant. Moreover, the product of B. Mori 
was a very superior article to that produced by any other worm. It was 
true that in India, China and elsewhere native products were prepared 
from cocoons of indigenous moths, as, for instance, the Tusser-silks from 
