Nov. 18, 1869] 
NATORE 
28) 
Louvain in August last.—Storm observations, from the Ist of 
June to the end of September, were presented; for Brussels by 
M. Quetelet, for Louvain by M. Terby, for Malines by M. Ber- 
naerts, for Antwerp by M. C. Coomans, and for Gerpinnes, near 
Charleroi, by M. V. van Geel. M. J. Cavalier also communi- 
cated a note of storms observed at Ostend in August and Sep- 
tember last.—M. Zantedeschi communicated a note on the em- 
ployment of the outer armature of the submarine cable, while 
the inner armature, or isolated conducting wire, transmits the 
telegraphic despatch. The author remarks that the submarine 
cable represents a Leyden jar, and hence that when the conduct- 
ing wire conveys a message, say from Europe to America, the 
same message is reconveyed to the European station by means of 
the wires forming the outer portion of the cable. He proposes to 
establish an apparatus at each station for the purpose of receiving 
this return message, so as to enable the operator to see that his 
message is correctly {transmitted.—M. L. de Koninck stated, 
that on the 2nd October last, the day of the earthquakes in the 
Rhenish provinces, he experienced a slight double shock in Liege 
at abouteI1.40 p.m. 
MANCHESTER 
Literary and Philosophical Society. Microscopical and 
Natural History Section, Oct. 11.—Mr. John Watson in the chair. 
The President delivered an address, from which the following are 
extracts :—"“It will interest all naturalists, and especially entomolo- 
gists and lepidopterists, to hear that there has very lately been re- 
ceived in this country a fine specimen of the magnificent butterfly 
Papilio Antimachus, of which only one specimen was ever before 
brought to Europe. . . . . The Darwinian theory appears to be 
making progress among a certain class of naturalists, but its 
upholders display a disposition to ayoid precision of terms, and 
to enlarge and confuse the meaning of the words (they employ, 
rather than scientifically to limit and define them; they use 
variability and mutability as having one and the same meaning, 
instead of distinguishing one as referring to subdivision into 
varieties, and the other as change of specific forms. Just now, 
as a development of the theory of natural selection, we hear a 
great deal from some distinguished entomologists about imitation 
and mimicry, where resemblance would be the more correct 
word ; and these terms cannot be said to be used figuratively, 
because it is argued that some species and genera of butterflies 
mimic the colourings and markings of others for the sake of 
protection from enemies, and for other aims and ends. Certainly 
the words imitation and mimicry imply foregone intention. Now 
it is probable that no butterfly ever saw its parent or ancestor, 
its offspring or posterity, and it is an absurd stretch of imagina- 
tion that its own observation could induce and enable it to change 
the colouring and appearance of its successors; and if it had such 
ability and reasoning power, it would effect the change for pro- 
tection from enemies in the larva, and not in the imago. We 
know that Nature loves to repeat her works, and it is common 
to find resemblances and repetitions through various and distantly 
allied families of animals, and they are truly connecting links in 
the chain of creation. The controversy is still going on between 
those who affirm and deny the existence of a vital principle of 
energy or force, and Professor Huxley stands foremost among 
the latter ; very interesting microscopic observations have been 
made, and ingenious arguments have been deduced from them ; 
but the grand step from the lifeless to the living protoplasm has 
not been diminished. — Physiologists may, perhaps, hereafter 
discover and explain the difference between organic forms, living 
and dead ; but at present it is not proved that the phenomena of 
life can be reconciled with the mere functions of matter.” 
Dr. Henry Simpson’exhibited specimens of Statice spathulata, 
gathered by himself this autumn on Hilbree Island, Cheshire. 
Mr. Tait sent a portion of the beach from near Alexandria, 
Egypt, consisting almost entirely of shells, He stated that 
for many miles along the coast the shore was of a (similar 
character. 
Mr. Joseph Sidebotham read a paper on varieties in Lepi- 
doptera, from which the following passage is extracted :— 
““The questions as to what constitutes a species? where does 
a species end, and variety begin? and whether a species be a 
natural or merely an artificial division? are amongst the most 
difficult of solution in the whole range of natural history, and 
just at this time are very prominently before the scientific world. 
With a view to determine the influence which difference of food 
and light might have in modifying species, the author gives the 
following as the result of some experiments which he had made, 
I procured about 2,500 larvee of the tiger moth, in a young state. 
I divided them into six lots, keeping each in a separate cage, and 
feeding them differently. One lot was fed on willow, another on 
butter burr (Peasttes velgaris), another on hawthorn, another on 
plum, one on dock, and one on nettle, grass, bramble, and 
various other kinds of food. A considerable proportion of each 
became perfect insects, and I could detect no difference whatever 
in the colours, from the food they had lived upon. That is to 
say, the variations in colour and marking were not to be traced 
in any case to the food. I kept several batches of eggs, and 
reared the larvee carefully through the winter, and then again 
divided them, giving each lot a different kind of food. Again 
the same result. I found that one year the larvee I had brought 
from the coast had usually the inferior wings more or less of a 
yellow shade, instead of the bright scarlet of the Cheshire 
specimens. Having for many years continued these experiments 
without obtaining any marked results, I this year tried another of 
a different nature. I selected the tortoiseshell butterfly, as one of 
the least variable species we have, and I procured several broods 
of young larvae just emerged from the egg. These I kept in a 
dark box until I had all ready, and then I divided each brood 
into three lots, putting one-third into a box in my photographic 
room, which is lighted with orange-coloured glass, one-third into 
a box lighted with blue glass, and the ventilators carefully shaded 
so that only light of a blue colour could reach the larve, the 
remainder were put into an ordinary cage, in the natural light. 
The latter fed up and came out into butterflies‘in the usual time. 
Those in the blue light were not healthy, and though every care 
was taken, at least fifty or sixty died before changing, and a 
considerable number changed into chrysalides, and then died ; 
those that came out into perfect insects were very much smaller 
than usual. Those lighted by orange-coloured glass fed up very 
well, but many of the two first lots had come out before one of 
them changed into chrysalis; scarcely one of them died, and I 
examined each one before I allowed it to fly, to see what effect 
had been produced. I retained a few specimens of each lot to 
exhibit this evening, and now proceed to describe the difference. 
Those reared in the blue light differ from the ordinary form in 
being on an average much smaller; the orange brown is lighter 
in shade, and the yellow and orange run into each other, instead 
of being distinct and separate. ‘Those reared in the non-actinic, 
or yellow light, are also smaller, the orange brown is replaced by 
a salmon colour, the venation more strongly marked, and the 
blue dashes at the edge of the wings in the usual form, are in 
these of a dull slatey colour. <A series of specimens of these side 
by side with those reared in ordinary light, are here for exhibition. 
One evening I found about 60 butterflies out of chrysalis, of those 
in the photographic room, and taking each one carefully I 
examined them all and allowed them to fly; shortly afterwards I 
found the whole of them had settled against the wall of the 
house, and presented a most remarkable appearance; they 
remained there more than half-an-hour, the western sun was 
shining against the wall, and it is not unlikely when, being 
suddenly brought from the red light, where they had spent all 
their lives, to the bright daylight, they have been so dazzled as to 
act in this peculiar manner. The results of this experiment do 
not show any very startling change in colour, such as one would 
haye expected from the known effects of light on plants and from 
the occasional occurrence of very much more strange varieties, 
one now and then meets with, which cannot have been subject to 
such severe treatment; still, when we consider that even this 
difference is caused in one generation, and in the course of a 
month, it is a very suggestive fact, and leads one to think that 
light has certainly as much or more effect on the colours of 
Lepidoptera, than the difference of food, and might in a long 
series of generations lead to very material changes in both form 
and colour, and perhaps considerably modify our ideas of what 
constitutes a species.” 
MONTREAL 
Natural History Society, October 25.— An important 
paper on the Gaspé fossils was read by Principal Dawson. The 
Peninsula of Gaspé, between the river St. Lawrence and the 
Bay des Chaleurs, was the first part of Canada explored by the 
Geological Survey under Sir William Logan, and it contains 
rocks representing four great geological periods, the Lower 
Silurian, the Upper Silurian, the Devonian, and the Lower Car- 
boniferous ; all admirably exposed in coast cliffs ; and in the case 
of the Upper Silurian and Devonian abounding in characteristic 
fossils. The visit of Principal Dawson in the past summer had 
reference to further study of the interesting fossil plants of the 
Devonian sandstone, many species of which have been described 
