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PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES. 143 
being influenced by food-plant, he stated that he had observed this fact in 
connection with species of Mamestra. 
Sir John Lubbock stated, with regard to dimorphic larve, that Weismann 
had shown that in such cases one form generally retained the characters of 
the young larva, while the other form diverged from it at a certain stage 
of growth. The dark-coloured varieties generally existed in those species 
which fed on low-growing plants, under which conditions the dark colour 
served as a protection to the caterpillar when hiding by day. 
Mr. H. Goss said that he had long been familiar with two forms of the 
larva of Cherocanipa elpenor, and that the green and brown varieties were 
about equally common, the former colour not being in any way confined to 
young larve. , 
Mr. J. P. Mansel Weale remarked that in South Africa the ordinary 
form of larva of Acherontia Atropos feeds generally upon Solanaceae, while 
the dark form, which is rarer, he had found only on species of Lantana. 
The larva of Cherocampa capensis feeds on the wild vine, and is green, 
shaded with oblique stripes of pale violet; it has two eye-like spots on the 
thoracic segment, but they are very small, and would in this case hardly be 
serviceable to the insect in ‘frightening away birds; the general coloration 
of the caterpillar is probably protective. Another Cherocampa larva feeding 
on the wild vine is dark-coloured, but with very-large eye-like spots, which 
give it a grotesque appearance. Mrs. M. E. Barber, in a paper read before 
the Linnean Society, mentioned the larva of a species of Cherocampa which 
feeds on Convolvulacez, and which in its younger stage is green, but 
becomes dark coloured prior to burrowing, at which period it may be seen 
wandering about the ground. The species is extremely abundant. The 
larva of Antherea Tyrrhea is so abundant in some seasons that the thorn- 
trees (Acacia horrida) are stripped of their foliage over miles of area. The 
caterpillar is conspicuously marked with black, white and yellow; when 
touched it jerks its head backwards and ejects a quantity of a nauseous 
green fluid. Mr. Weale stated that he had never seen it attacked by birds, 
although it is often infested with ichneumons. The moth—to judge by the 
number of wounded specimens—is attacked largely by some night-flying 
animal, probably bats. Many of the larve of Sphinyide when seized have 
a habit of doubling up the body and then jumping a considerable distance 
with a spring-like action. This is especially the case with species having 
eye-like markings, and it is probable that if attacked by birds in a hesitating 
manner, such species might effect their escape amid the grass or foliage. 
Mr. Meldola stated that, in the December number of ‘ Kosmos,’ Fritz 
Miller had recorded a number of most interesting observations bearing 
upon the subject of the coloration of caterpillars. 
The following papers were communicated by Mr. C. O. Waterhouse :-— 
“Description of a new Dragon-fly (Gynacantha) from Borneo.” “ Description 
