160 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Mr. H. J. Elwes exhibited a large number of Lepidoptera-Heterocera, 

 caught by him in the verandah of the CUib at Darjeeling, in Sikkim, at an 

 elevation of 7000 feet, on the night of the 4th of August, 1886, between 

 9 p.m. and 1 a.m. The specimens exhibited represented upwards of 1'20 

 species, — which was believed to I)e a larger number than had ever before 

 been caught iu one night, — including Bombyces of the genera Zeuzera, 

 Stauropus, Dasychira, Lopliopteryx, &c. ; Noctuae of the genera Diphthera, 

 Orapldphora, Gonitis, Plusia, &c. ; and Geonietrse of the genera Boarmia, 

 Odoiitoptera, Urapteryx, Cidaria, Acidalia, Pseudocoremia, and Eupithacia. 

 Mr. Elwes stated that Mr. A. R. Wallace's observations on the conditions 

 most favourable for collecting moths in the tropics were fully confirmed by 

 his own experience during four months' collecting in Sikkim and the Khasias. 

 The conditions referred to by Mr. AVallace were a dark wet night in the 

 rainy season ; a situation commanding a large e.Ktent of virgin forest and 

 uncultivated ground ; and a whitewashed verandah, not too high, with 

 powerful lamps in it. He said that on many nights during June and July 

 he had taken from si.\ty to eighty species, and during his stay he had 

 collected between 600 and 700 species. 



Mr. Elwes also made some remarks on the Khasia Hills, the southern 

 slopes of which he believed to be the true habitat of the greater part of those 

 insects described many years ago by Prof. Westwood and others as coming 

 from Sylhet, which was situated in a flat cultivated plain, under water 

 during the rainy season, and not many miles distant from these hills. In 

 consequence of the unhealthy and extremely hot and wet climate of these 

 hills no Europeans had done much collecting there, but the specimens 

 were chiefly caught by the natives and brought into the town of Sylhet 

 for sale. 



A discussion ensued on the remarks made by Mr. Elwes, in which 

 Mr. M'Lachlan, Dr. Sharp, Mr. Champion, Mr. Kirby, and others took jDart. 



The Rev. W. W. Fowler exhibited a specimen of Cathoriniocerus socius, 

 taken a few years ago at Sandown, Isle of Wight. 



Mr. S. Stevens exhibited specimens of Cathormiocerus maritinius and 

 Platytarsus hirtus. 



Mr. F. Grut said he was requested by Mens. Peringuey, of Cape Town, 

 to announce that the latter was engaged on a monograph of the genus 

 Hipporrhinus, and that he would be glad to receive specimens and other 

 assistance from British entomologists. 



Mr. Gervase F. Mathew, R.N., communicated a paper entitled " Descrip- 

 tions of new species of Rhopalocera from the Solomon Islands." 



Mr. George T. Baker communicated the following papers ; — " Descrip- 

 tion of a new species of the Lepidopterous genus Caraina, together with a 

 few notes on the genus"; and " Description of a new genus of Rhopalocera 

 allied to Thecla." — H. Goss, Hon. Secretary. 



