292 [December, 1893. 



Mr. F. Merrifield exhibited some low-temperature forms of Vanessa Atalanta, 

 artificially produced, which showed a great reduction in the area of the scarlet bands 

 on the wings, and a great increase in the area of the white and bluish markings. 



Professor E. B. Poulton described and illustrated, by means of a map, a simple 

 method for showing the geographical distribution of insects in collections. Below 

 the name label of the genus, and of each species, were placed coloured slips of such 

 a size as to be distinctly 'Tisible at a distance, and the coloui's, with one exception, 

 correspond with those made use of in the map at the beginning of Yol. i of Dr. A. 

 E.. Wallace's " Greographical Distribution of Animals." The exception referred to 

 was the Palaearctic Eegion, which was coloured blue, instead of pale brown as in the 

 original. Framed maps of the same kind, and coloured in the same way as the one 

 he exhibited, were to be placed in Museums, so as to be readily seen from various 

 groups of cabinets. In these maps the names of the Regions, and numbers of the 

 Subvegions, were distinctly printed, so that they could be read at a considerable 

 distance. Prof. Poulton added that the method he had described was being gradually 

 introduced into the Hope Collections at Oxford. Mr. McLachlan stated that a 

 somewhat similar plan to that described by Prof. Poulton for showing the geogra- 

 phical distribution of insects, had been adopted in the Brussels Museum by Mons. 

 Preudhomme de Borre. Mr. W. F. H. Blandford, Dr. D. Sharp, Mr. C. J. Gahan, 

 Mr. C. O. Waterhouse, Mr. Osbert Salvin, Prof. Poulton, and the President, con- 

 tinued the discussion. 



Dr. Sharp read the following extract from Dr. Livingstone's " Narrative of an 

 Expedition to the Zambesi," and stated that he was indebted to Mr. Grahan for 

 calling his attention to it :— "We tried to sleep one rainy night in a native hut, but 

 could not because of attacks by the fighting battalions of a very small species of 

 Formica, not more than one-sixteenth of an inch in length. It soon became obvious 

 that they were under regular discipline, and even attempting to carry out the skilful 

 plans and stratagem of some eminent leader. Our hands and necks were the first 

 objects of attack. Large bodies of these little pests were massed in silence round 

 the point to be assaulted. We could hear the sharp, shrill word of command two 

 or three times repeated, though, until then, we had not believed in the vocal power 

 of the ant ; the instant after we felt the storming hosts over head and neck, &c." 



Prof. Poulton read a paper, entitled, " On the sexes of larvae emerging from the 

 successively laid eggs of Smerinthus populi." Mr. Merrifield, Dr. Sharp, and the 

 President took part in the discussion which ensued. 



Mr. W. L. Distant communicated a paper, entitled, " On the Homopterous 

 genus Pyrops, with descriptions of two new species." 



The President read a papei', written by himself and Mr. J. Edwards, entitled, 

 " A Eevision of the genus CEneis," which he characterized as the most cold-loving 

 genus of butterflies. He also exhibited his complete collection of species of this 

 genus, which was said to be the finest in the world. A long discussion ensued, in 

 which Prof. Poulton, Mr. McLachlan, Mr. Salvin, Mr. Bethune-Baker, the Eev. Dr. 

 Walker, Mr. Kirby, Mr. Merrifield, Mr. Barrett, Mr. Blandford, Dr. Sharp, and Mr. 

 Jacoby took part. — H. Goss, Hon. Secretary. 



END OF VOL. IT (Second Seeies). 



