80 



March 5, 1855. 

 John Curtis, Esq., President, in the chair. 



Donations. 



The following donations were announced, and thanks ordered to be given to the 

 donors: — ' Genera desColeopteresou Expose Metliodique et Critique de tons les Genres 

 proposes jusqu'iei dans cet ordrc d'lusectes,' par M. Th. Lacordaire, Tome ii. ; pre- 

 sented by the Author. ' Berichl iiber die Wissenschaftlichen Leistungen im Gebiete 

 der Entomologie wahrend des Jahres, 1852,' von Dr. Herm. Schaum; by the Author. 

 'Geodepbaga Britannica,' by J. F. Dawson, L.L.B. ; by the Author. 'List of the 

 Specimens of Dipterous Insects in the British Museum,' part 6, supp. 2, by Francis 

 Walker; by the Author. 'Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England,' 

 Vol. XV,, part 2; by the Society. ' Proceedings of tlie Royal Society,' Vol. vii., No. 8 ; 

 by the Society. 'Journal of the Society of Arts' for February; by the Society. 

 'The Literary Gazette' for February; by the Editor. 'The Athenaeum' for 

 February ; by the Editor. ' The Zoologist ' for March ; by the Editor. ' Magazin 

 des Thierreichs,' Erster Band ; by John Curtis, Esq. ' Notes on four Galls 

 from the Crimea,' by John Curtis, Esq., F.L.S. (from the Gardeners' Chronicle) ; ' On 

 the Genus Myrmica, and other indigenous Ants,' by John Curtis, Esq., F.L.S. , and 

 'Remarks relative to the AfEnities and Analogies of Natural Objects, more particularly 

 of ITypocephalus, a Genus of Coleoptera,' by Johu Curtis, Esq., F.L.S. (both papers 

 from the Transactions of the Linuean Society) ; all by the Author. ' Insecta Saunder- 

 siana; Coleoptera, Cureulionides,' by H. Jekel ; by W. W. Saunders, Esq. 



Exhibitions. 



Mr. Stevens exhibitfed a quantity of insects of all orders, including several fine new 

 species, being part of the collection made by Madame Pfeiffer, at Amboyna and 

 Ceram. Among the butterflies were the true Ornithoptera Priaraus ^, O. Panthous 

 and O. Amphimedon, Cramer. The Lepidoptera came packed between sheets of 

 paper, and the other orders loose in layers between paper and cotton, not pinned ; and 

 all had travelled quite securely. 



Mr. Edwin Shepherd exhibited a specimen of Arctia Caja, from the collection of 

 Mr. Allis, having the left upper wing marked with two nearly parallel streaks of the 

 same colour as the under wings, crossing the other colours of the wing from the base 

 to the posterior margin. He likewise exhibited, from the collection of Mr. John Scott, a 

 specimen of Triphsena orbona, of which the upper wings were much shortened and 

 the colour was nearly black, the anterior margin being suffused with red. This 

 remarkable variety was taken in Scotland. 



Mr. Edward Sheppard exhibited a silken bag of a slight, flossy texture, being one 

 of the kind imported from China as coverings to the ends of the hanks of silk in bales. 

 Dr. Gray said he was informed by Mr. Reeves that each of these bags was only a 

 single cocoon beaten out. 



Prize Essay for 1855. 



The President announced that the subject proposed for the Prize Essay of the 

 Society this year was the Coccus producing the lac-dye of commerce, towards which. 



