118 



ground-colour pale yellow, darker towards the front ; antesutural band 

 yellowish brown. A small and very pale variety from Curimao. 



q. Apex white; ground-colour pale yellow, darker toward the 

 front ; antesutural and circumferential bands yellow-brown. Another 

 small variety from Curimao. 



r. Colours the same as q, but altogether paler. This is a large 

 variety, from St. Nicolas. 



s. Apex white, softened down into a pale yellow ground-colour ; 

 antesutural band yellow-brown. 



A paper by E. Lewis, Esq., entitled " Desultory Observations on 

 Subjects ha\'ing relation to Zoology," was also read. 



The author in this paper comments on the different systems of clas- 

 sification, and proposes that the various groups of animals should be 

 defined with more simplicity than they at present are ; he is of opinion, 

 that although the members of a group may resemble each other in 

 many characters, yet one of these characters should be selected, and 

 used for distinction ; " and it is hoped," observes Mr. Lewis, " that 

 divisions thus formed will be found practicable, precise and sufficient ; 

 because, as each is formed from a single common character, the ne- 

 cessity of admitting subfamilies and subgenera is obviated ; for it is 

 evident the necessity for forming those divisions has arisen from the 

 family or genus from which they have been deducted having been 

 formed from the notice and combination of too many particulars. 

 It may be mentioned as a recommendation of the proposed method 

 of using one character, as essential for distinction of divisions, that it 

 has been in part virtually, if not expressly used, by many eminent 

 zoologists. Linnaeus makes use of the organs of manducation for 

 generic distinctions in the class Mammalia, and in so doing is fol- 

 lowed by most naturalists. The Rev. W. Kirby, in his enumeration 

 of the characters of Apis and Melitta, mentions the form of the tongue 

 as the one essential character." The cells of the wings has been 

 selected by Jurine in the Hymenopterous insects ; and numerous 

 other instEuices of a single peculiarity having been selected for the 

 definition of a group are mentioned by the author, who asks, " Will 

 it not therefore be better, if only for the sake of uniformity and the 

 advantage of fixing a character, which, from its singleness, can be 

 easily retained in the memor}% and therefore always be ready for 

 application, to adopt the same plan throughout ? 



" The Vertebrata and Invertebrata may be divided into four stirps ; 

 the first will contain the Hcematherma (Latr.), or warm-blooded ani- 

 mals, as the Mammifera and Aves, and the Hamacryma, or cold- 

 blooded animals, such as the Reptiles and Fishes. The Invertebrata 

 may be divided into the Cephalidea, containing the Insects and Mol- 

 lusca, or Palliata (Latr.), and the Acephala (Latr.), which last are 

 the Vermes Zoophyta and Infusoria of Linnaeus, or ' les Animaux 

 Apathiques' of Lamarck." 



Mr. Gould exhibited a Drawing of the Brush Turkey of New South 

 Wales. 



