48 



caught while flying over tobacco flowers in August at Hythe, 

 near Southampton. 



Mr. Colthrup exhibited series of Coliashyalc from Margate ; 

 Triphcena orhona, inchiding red forms of various depth of 

 colour, from Deal ; and very varied Triphcena fimbria from the 

 Isle of Wight. 



Mr. Cane exhibited a very striking and distinct fungus, 

 Polyporus lucidus, found on an acacia tree. 



Mr. Harrison reported that Mr. Main and himself had 

 taken ten specimens of Sphinx convolvidi at Forest Gate 

 during the last few days. Mr. McArthur said that the 

 species had been common at Brighton. Other members 

 reported it from Folkestone, Camberwell, N. England, etc. 



Mr. Manger exhibited fine specimens of several species of 

 the Gasteropod family Xenophoridae, and read the following 

 notes upon the exhibit : 



" I have brought for exhibition a few specimens of 

 shells of the little-known family Xenophoridae, class 

 Gasteropoda. These things some years ago were called 

 Onustus, afterwards Phoreus, and then for no valid reason, 

 so far as I can understand the matter, they were called 

 Xenophora. Verily nomenclature is a great stumbling- 

 block in all branches of natural history ; I have heard 

 something of this even in entomology. 



*' These Molluscs (there are only a few known species — nine 

 or ten, I believe) occur in the West Indies, India, Malacca, 

 Japan, Philippines, China, West America, Red Sea. They 

 are found at depths ranging from a few fathoms to the 

 enormous depth of 350 fathoms — 2100 feet. There is a 

 specimen in the Natural History Museum brought home by 

 the Challenger, Xenophora callidula, dredged off the Anda- 

 man Islands at 100 fathoms, and another brought by the 

 same vessel, Xenophora caribhcea, dredged off Pernambuco, 

 which is on the north-east coast of South America, at 350 

 fathoms. 



" Woodward gives a short description of the animal. He 

 says they ' have an elongated proboscis, tentacles long and 

 slender, with sessile eyes at their outer bases, sides plain, 

 foot narrow, elongated behind.' 



" They scramble along like the Strombs. They extend and 

 fix the front dilated part of the foot, and draw the posterior 

 portion to it, jerking the shell forwards at every movement. 

 This mode of progression seems to be adapted to the nature 

 of the surface on which they move, which is usually com- 

 posed of the debris of dead shells. ' The peculiarity of this 



