32 



in the Satyrids, which also were often symmetrically, often 

 very unsymmetrically, placed on the wings. He referred to 

 the recent researches of Schaffer and others, that the scales 

 in the course of development went through the following 

 stages : (i) transparent ; (2) white ; (3) yellow (owing to the 

 deposit of pigment-factor from pupal blood) ; (4) ordinary 

 colour of matured pigment. It would appear, then, that in 

 these pale patches either (i) the pigment-factor has not 

 been deposited, or (2) if deposited never got beyond stage 

 3 (yellow) in its development. If these arguments be 

 logical, then we have now to consider what is the most 

 likely explanation of this retarded scale development. 

 Taking into account the known factors of the histolysis of 

 the pupal tissues, he considered that anything that would 

 cause a local weakening of the tissue -would produce a 

 result similar to that exhibited. This actual weakness of 

 tissue might occur in the larval period, when it would 

 naturally be carried through the pupal stage, or it might 

 originate in the pupal stage, whilst the possible factors that 

 might cause local weakness or disease in a larva or pupa 

 are manifold. He further pointed out that a well-known 

 lepidopterist had observed that when dust particles or 

 other foreign matter interfered with the pupa when it was 

 in the very soft stage, i. e. during the first hour or two 

 following the change from the larval to the pupal condition, 

 the result always ended in crippling the imago, or in the 

 failure of complete scale development in the neighbourhood 

 of the injury or irritation. 



Referring to Mr. South's remarks on the sub-genera of 

 Argynnis, Mr. Tutt stated that the time must now soon 

 come when the butterflies of this country will have to be 

 placed in their proper genera, and that we had at least three 

 Argynnid genera among our species, viz. : — (i) Dryas paphia ; 

 (2) Brenthis euphrosyne and selene ; (3) Argynnis adippe,aglaia, 

 and, doubtfully, latona. 



FEBRUARY 2-7^1, 1896. 



R. South, Esq., F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



Mr. A. H. Waters, B.A., of Cambridge, and Mr. J. A. 

 Lucas, B.A., of Kingston-on-Thames, were elected members. 



Mr. Robert Adkin exhibited a series of Hybernia leucophcearia, 

 representative of thirty-seven specimens taken in Abbot's 

 Wood, Sussex, during the earlier part of the present month. 



