261 [April, 1869. 



Entomological Society of London: March 6th, 1889. — The Right Hon. 

 Lord Walsingham, M.A., F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



The Rev. W. F. Johnson, M.A., of Armagh ; the Rev. C. F. Thornewill, M.A., 

 of Burton-on-Trent ; and Mr. C. R. Straton, F.R.C.S., of Wilton, were elected 

 Fellows. 



Mr. F. P. Pascoe exhibited several specimens of the Saiiba Ant (CEcodoma 

 cephalotes) , from Para, carrying portions of dried leaves. It seemed questionable 

 whether the leaves were collected by the Ants for the purpose of making their nests 

 or for the sake of some fungus which might be growing on them. 



Mr. Jenner Weir exhibited, and read notes on, specimens of a Butterfly 

 (Tirumala Petiverana) from Mombaza, Eastern Africa. 



Mr. J. H. Durrant exhibited a living larva of Cossus ligniperda, which had 

 entirely lost its ordinary colour and had become first pink and then white. He 

 attributed the change and subsequent loss of colour to the fact that it had been 

 deprived of its natural food and fed for eighteen months on pink paper, with which 

 the box in which it was kept was lined, and subsequently on white cardboard. 

 Mr. McLachlan remarked that the most extraordinary peculiarity about this larva, in 

 addition to the loss of colour, was the absence of the usual odour of Cossus. Lord 

 Walsingham observed that it was questionable whether the colours of larvae were depen- 

 dent on the colours of their surroundings, or whether they were affected by the contents 

 of the intestinal canal. Prof. Meldola said that the caterpillar exhibited having eaten 

 the pink paper had most probably become dyed by the colouring matter, and he did 

 not think the observation had much bearing on the question of the protective 

 colouring of caterpillars. It was well known to physiologists that certain dye-stuffs 

 could be introduced into the tissues of animals by mixing the colouring matters with 

 the food, and paper was frequently stained with coal-tar dyes such as eosin, magenta, 

 &c, so that it was simply a case of direct dyeing of the larva. 



Mr. B. A. Bower exhibited a specimen of Parasia neuropterella, bred from 

 heads of Centaurea scabiosa, and said he believed the species had not been previously 

 bred. He also exhibited series of Coleophora olivaceella, C. solitariella, and Laverna 

 subbistrigella. 



Mr. White exhibited a series of male and female specimens of Orgyia thyalina, 

 belonging to Mr. Leech, and obtained by the late Mr. H. J. Pryer in Japan. Some 

 of the females had their wings fully developed, and some of them were semi-apterous, 

 as is usual with the females of this genus. 



Lord Walsingham exhibited specimens of preserved larva? of Eupithecia 

 extensaria, from King's Lynn, Norfolk ; also a preserved larva of Smerinthus 

 ocellatus and one of Sphinx ligustri. The larva of the last-named species was a 

 variety, and the President remarked that it was the only variety of this species he 

 had ever seen. 



The Secretary read a communication from the Rev. Dr. Walker, announcing his 

 intention of making an expedition to Iceland this year, from the 23rd June to the 

 29th July, and asking that any Entomologists who might wish to accompany him 

 would send him their names. 



Mr. Grervase F. Mathew communicated a paper entitled " Descriptions and 

 Life-Histories of new species of Rhopalocera from the Western Pacific." — H. Goss, 

 Hon. Secretary. 



