The Zoologist — December, 18US. 1487 



Prof. Westwood remarked that the diminutive size might perhaps he due to the 

 heat, and the consequent rapidity of development of the insects, which remained a 

 shorter lime, and therefore ate less, iu the larva state. 



Mr. R. L. Davis (who was present as a visitor) mentioned that he had a number 

 of pupae of Smerinthiis ocellatus of very small size: the larvae had scarcely attained 

 more than half their usual growth when they were driven into the pupa slate by the 

 frost destroying their food. According to his experience, scarcity of food was generally 

 the cause of smalluess. During the season of 1868 he had preserved for the cabinet 

 larvae of about sixty-five species of Lepidoptera, most of which (including some of the 

 diminutive Smerinthus oeellatus) were exhibited. 



Mr. S. Stevens exhibited a specimen of Chcerocampa Celerio captured at Brighton 

 by Mr. Swaysland, on the evening of the 20th of September, hovering over Verbena 

 flowers; and a moth from the British collection of the late Mr. Desvignes, tickelted 

 "immoraria, Hub.," which it was suggested was an extraordinary variety of Strenia 

 clathrata. 



The Secretary read a letter from Gunner John Wilson, of the Royal Artillery, 

 Woolwich, stating that he had bred a gynandromorphous specimen of Lasiocampa 

 Quercus: "it shows the chocolate wings and feathered antenna of the male on the 

 left side ; on the right the wings are buff, and the antenna is single as in the female, 

 the abdomen thicker and not tufted as on the other." 



Mr. Briggs (who was present as a visitor) exhibited a Leucania captured at 

 Folkestone on the 15th of August, at sugar; a second specimen, much worn, was 

 taken in the second week of October, within five yards of the same place. The insect 

 appeared to differ from any species hitherto recorded as British. 



Mr. H. Pryer exhibited a specimen of Scoparia Zelleri (Wocke), captured in the 

 railway station at Norwood Junction, on the 17th of August, 1867. This was the first 

 occurrence of the species in Britain ; but the capture of a second specimen is announced 

 iu the 'Entomologist's Monthly Magazine,' v. 131. 



Mr. G. S. Mosse exhibited a collection of insects from the State of New York: 

 they were principally Lepidoptera, and amongst them was a female of Papilio Turnus, 

 which, contrary to the usual habit, was coloured like the male. 



Mr. H. Pryer exhibited a specimen of Agrypnia picta (Koleiiali), a new addition 

 to the list of British Trichoptera. The insect, a male, was captured at a gas-lamp at 

 Highgate, in June, 1868. 



Mr. Frederick Smith read the following note: — "The Secretary has called my 

 attention to the fact that the name Qistropsis, under which I described a new genus 

 of Aculeate Hymenoptera iu the 'Transactions' of the Society for the present year 

 (Tr. Ent. Soc. 1868, p. 253), has been applied by Dr. Brauer, during the present year, 

 to a genus of Trichoptera (Verb, zool.-bot. Gesells. Wien, 1868, vol. xviii. p. 263). As 

 Dr. Brauer's paper was published before mine, I have now to propose for ray new 

 genus of Aculeata the name Gastropsis, from the resemblance which the insect bears 

 to the Gastrus equi of Meigen, the OZstrus equi of old authors." 



The President read a letter from Mr. Albert Miiller, of Penge, to the following 

 effect: — "As regards British galls, Mr. H. Waring Kidd, of Godalming, and I are 

 jointly working at a descriptive list of all excrescences or deformations caused by insect 

 agency on plants growing wild or cultivated in these islands ; and for the guidance of 

 such persons as may be willing to aid us, a list of such plants has appeared in the 



