125 



Mr. J. A. Turner exhibited a box of Coleoptera from Texas, containing many fine 

 specimens of Longicorns; be also exhibited a splendid pair of Guliaihus gigauteus, 

 from the Gaboon Kiver, West Africa. 



Capture of Callimorpha Hera in England. 



Mr. Stainton exhibited a specimen of Callimorpha Hera, and read the following 

 letter, addressed to him by Mr. Cooke, of Pelham Terrace, Brighton: — 



" I send for your inspection a specimen of this species, captured at Newhaven, on 

 the 5th of September, 1855. It was captured in the evening, whilst Hying round a 

 lamp, by a boy, who carried it alive to a most respectable tradesman, who is an ento- 

 mologist, and in the habit of giving a trifling sum for insects captured in this manner. 

 I saw it a few days ago, and it was then kindly presented to me. 



"That this specimen was fairly captured in the High Street of Newhaven is be- 

 yond all question: the respectability of the individual from whom I obtained it effec- 

 tually precludes all doubt on this subject ; but there are two or three points which, in 

 the course of discussion, may be fairly raised. Newhaven is a sea-port, and ships of 

 various countries resort to the harbours ; there is a regular line of steam-boats run- 

 ning from Newhaven to Dieppe, and French fishing-boats also occasionally enter the 

 harbour. Now, it is just possible that this insect might by some means have got into 

 the rigging of some craft in a port in France, and be thus brought to Newhaven ; or, 

 which is less likely, it ' took ship ' as a larva, changed to a pupa whilst on board, and 

 happened to emerge from its quiescent state whilst the craft that bore it was lying 

 snug in the harbour of Newhaven. That the perfect insect or the larva or pupa was 

 brought over by any one and let loose, either intentionally or accidentally, is, I think, 

 a thing far too unlikely to be entertained. This insect might, with the aid of a favour- 

 able breeze, have flown across the Channel: the distance from point to point is about 

 fifty-five miles. 



" As far as I can see, these are all the objections that can be raised with a view to 

 the exclusion of this insect from the Biilish list; and, having said all I can against 

 it, I now proceed to state a few circumstances that have occurred, under my own ob- 

 servation, relative to this species. 



" Soon after I took up my residence at Hastings, in 1850, I came in contact with 

 a young man who occasionally collected insects ; and in reply to inquiries he stated 

 that he ' had not much in his collection, only a few hawks and a striped tiger.' I 

 went to see this ' striped tiger,' and found it to be a specimen of Hera. I questioned 

 him very closely as to how he obtained it, and he most positively declared that he 

 caught it. He stated that he had caught two of them, one in Hastings, in 1847, 

 flying round a lamp (and which he had given away), and the other in 1848, at Hal- 

 ton (a suburb of Hastings, extending inland about a mile). This latter was the one 

 I saw. He stated he took it in the day-time, crawling on a bank covered with different 

 kinds of herbage ; it had been rather roughly treated (he said he carried it home in 

 his bat), and had all the appearance of a genuine specimen in the hands of a novice. 

 I have no reason for doubting this man's statement ; but it must be borne in mind that 

 Hastings is also a port, or rather a coast-town, and is visited by French fisliin<>--boats. 



'' In the autumn of 1850 I went one evening, in company with a friend, to Fair- 

 light (about four miles from Hastings), for the purpose of collecting ; and about sun- 

 set, and while it was yet quite light, my friend called my attention to ' an extraordi- 



