312 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Antherea Paphia; Moonga-silk from Antherea Assama; Pongees, from 
China and Japan, from the cocoons of the Ailanthus moth and of B. Pernyi 
likewise a very valuable silk from the Japanese oak-feeding Bb. Yama-Mat ; 
and he thought that the cocoons of the species feeding on the gum-trees 
near Adelaide, New South Wales, which were exhibited that evening to the 
Society, might be utilised in a similar manner. But none of these silks 
were adapted to the machinery now in use in Europe, and therefore it 
would be better to allow native industry to collect the produce and fabricate 
the silks in the countries where produced. 
Mr. Meldola exhibited, on the part of Sir John Lubbock, specimens of 
three species of moths belonging to the family Bombycide, with eggs, 
cocoons and larve, sent from South Australia, together with some notes on 
their life-histories, by Mr. George Francis, of Adelaide. These moths, the 
arvee of which are stated to feed on the native gum-trees, were respectively 
a species supposed to belong to the genus Gastropacha, Opsirhina feroens, 
Wlk., and Anapea (Oxleyi, Newm.)? The first-named species, which is 
said to be rather rare, forms a tough green silken cocoon. 
Dr. Wallace, after examining the cocoon of the Gastropacha, stated that 
it looked very promising as a source of silk. 
Mr. Meldola pointed out, with regard to the Anapaa, that this insect, 
according to Mr. Francis’s statement, displayed the remarkable and 
exceptional character of sexual difference of colour and marking in the 
larval condition. 
Mr. M‘Lachlan read an extract from a letter, dated April last, received 
from his nephew, Mr. W. J. Wilson, Assistant Engineer, P.W.D., located 
on the Anapshahr Branch of the Ganges Canal, near Meerut, with reference 
to an enormous flight of locusts there. They appeared early in March, and 
covered a tract of country about fifteen miles long by two or three miles in 
breadth, moving gradually northwards up the Anapshahr Branch. Their 
eggs were hatched in large numbers before the end of the month, the ground 
being covered with little black larve about three-eighths of an inch long. 
They could not fly, and the only plan of destroying them was to dig trenches 
about one foot deep and sweep the larvee into them. They walk and hop 
about six inches. When a sufficient number are in the trench the earth is 
filled in. The locusts did considerable damage tu peas and mustard crops, 
but not much to grain, which was being cut. 
Dr. Fritz Miiller communicated a paper entitled “ Notes on the Cases 
of some South Brazilian Trichoptera.” 
Mr. Wood-Mason read “ Morphological Notes bearing on the Origin of 
Insects,” and exhibited microscopical preparations in illustration. 
Part [. of the ‘Transactions’ for 1879 was on the table-—R. Metpora, 
Hon. Secretary. 
