1062 The Zoologist— January, 1868. 



Election of Subscribers. 



Frederick Bates, Esq., of Leicester, and H. J. S. Pryer, Esq., of Highgate, were 

 severally ballotted for, and elected Annual Subscribers. 



Exhibitions, <$-e. 



Mr. Bond exhibited eight specimens of Sterrha sacraria, bred from the egg by 

 Mr. Rogers, of Freshwater, Isle of Wight; together with two females by which the 

 eggs were laid. One of the females was captured at midday on the 14th of August, 

 1867, and on the 16th laid three eggs; the other was taken at sugar on the 16th of 

 August, and on the 19th laid six eggs. All the nine eggs were hatched on the 23rd 

 and 24th of August, and the larvse were fed on Polygonum aviculare. On the 14th of 

 September three larvae began to spin up, on the 19th four more, and on the 23rd the 

 remaining two. The moths emerged, one on the 17th of October, two on the 19th, 

 three on the 25th, and two on the 27th ; one died in pupa. The times of development 

 in the cold and wet season of 1867 thus agreed very nearly with those of the specimens 

 bred by Mr. Hellins in the hoi and dry season of 1865, and described by Mr. 

 M'Lachlan (see Trans. Ent. Soc. 3rd series, vol. ii. p. 453, pi. xxiii. figs. 2 — 7), and 

 the food-plant was the same; but the specimens now exhibited were unlike Mr. 

 Hellins's specimens, being all of the same pattern, plain, buff-coloured, but very 

 dark. 



Mr. M'Lachlan mentioued that this species, which was originally described by 

 Linnaeus from specimens captured in Barbary, and which was extremely abundant at 

 the Cape of Good Hope, had been found as far north as Perthshire. 



Mr. Stainton exhibited a specimen of Ebulea calalaunalis, a new British Pyralis. 

 It was captured at Cheshunt on the 18th of September last, by Mr. W. C. Boyd, whose 

 attention was attracted by its peculiar flight, resembling that of a house-fly. The 

 insect was quite distinct from Nascia cilialis; but in consequence of Stephens having 

 erroneously given catalaunalis as a synonym of cilialis, continental authors were in the 

 habit of quoting the latter insect as identical with catalaunalis. 



Mr. Higgins exhibited a large collection of butterflies from Lahuan and Borneo ; 

 amongst them were Ornithoptera Brookiana, Protboe Calydonia, Amathusia, &c, &c, 

 and several species hitherto unique among Mr. Wallace's captures. 



Mr. Trimen exhibited a fine species of Papilio from Uruguay, allied to P. Americus 

 of Kollar. 



Prof. Westwood had recently received from Dr. Hooker the cocoon and chrysalis of 

 a Saturnia, from the larva of which the Chinese obtained the " gut" used by fisher- 

 men : the moth was not yet known, but he hoped to breed it. The "gut" was in fact 

 the silk-reservoir of the larva, which was drawn out about twenty-four hours before 

 the larva would in the ordinary course begin to spin, the precise time being of great 

 importance; it was dipped first in vinegar, then in water, after which the silk-vessel 

 was capable of being extracted in many cases to the length of from twenty to thirty 

 feet. 



Mr. Janson said that in the South of Europe "gut" was obtained from the common 

 silkworm. 



Prof. Westwood added that one of the Saturnia cocoons contained a Chalcis and 

 another Hymenopterous parasite, but the pupa was nevertheless quite perfect. 



