MELANIC VARIATION IN LEPlDOPTERA. 137 



into natural phenomena which present innumerable problems for 

 solution to the human mind. Like the speculative industry of 

 the miner for gold or diamonds, the study of natural history 

 presents its special prizes in those bright gems of information 

 and discovery which in exceptional instances delight the hearts 

 of its true votaries. 



Time will not permit me upon this occasion to indicate the 

 numerous branches of this subject, or to suggest those problems 

 which occur to my mind as still awaiting investigation. Almost 

 every scientific periodical teems with matter suggestive of such 

 problems. 



How little is known, for instance of the pattern and form 

 of the eggs of Lepidoptera. Mons. Goossens' paper* is, so 

 far as I know, the only instance in which notes on this subject 

 have ever been made, tending to assist us to correct the classi- 

 fication. It would be interesting to test the opinions of some 

 of our lepidopterists by this means. Mr. Butler's paper upon 

 the genus Acronycta,t in which he assigns our British species to 

 a number of distinct families, is well known to you. It would 

 be useful to determine whether the microscopical examination 

 of the eggs would tend to confirm or to refute his views. Again, 

 how few of the larvae of the Coleoptera are known to entomolo- 

 gists, and how interesting in many cases are their forms and 

 habits, varying from the shelter-making Cassidse of Brazil, to 

 the parasite Stylops and Meloe in our own country. The habits 

 of some of our common birds can be shown to be undergoing 

 a gradual change. The grouse of our Yorkshire moors, which 

 fifty years ago would allow the approach of a sportsman and 

 his dogs even so late as the end of October, are now packed 

 together on the highest ground at the commencement of the 

 shooting season. The evidence I have collected on this subject 



* ' Annales de la Societe Entomologique Fran9aise,' Oct. 1884. 

 t Transactions of Entomological Society, 1879, p. 313. 



