XXXIV 



the fact that the phenomenon of resemblance (both mimetic and protective) 

 is one of degree, and insists that this fact is entirely in favour of the view 

 of the production of such resemblances through the agency of the " survival 

 of the fittest," but is quite inexplicable on the teleological view of the origin 

 of species. 



The Secretary directed attention to a letter in ' Nature' (Nov. 15th, 1877, 

 p. 45), detailing some experiments made upon Abraxas grossulariata, which 

 tended to show that the insect was sensitive to certain sounds, and remarked 

 that these facts appeared to lend experimental support to the existence of an 

 organ of hearing in Lepidoptera, as recently described by Mr. A. H. Swintou 

 (Ent. Mo. Mag., Nov. 1877). 



Papers read. 



Mr. F. Smith read a paper containing " Descriptions of new Species of 

 Hymenopterous Insects of New Zealand, collected by Prof. Hutton at 

 Otago." The author exhibited a collection of the insects in illustration of 

 the paper, in which seventeen new species are described. 



Mr. A. G. Butler read a paper " On the Lepidoptera of the Amazons 

 collected by Dr. James W. H. Trail during the years 1873 to 1875 — 

 Part ii. Sphinges and Bombyces." The author directed attention to the 

 following remarkable cases of parallelism : — 



1. Transparent genera with white wings. 

 Prismoptera, n. gen. (Amazons) = Ernolatia, Walk. (Borneo). 



9. Opaque genera with coloured wings. 

 Antlirocroca, n. gen. (Amazons) = Norasuma, Moore (Daijeeling). 



Prismoptera and Antlirocroca agree in neuration with one another, but differ 

 entirely (in the neuration of the primaries) from the Asiatic genera, which 

 likewise agree in neuration with one another. Moreover, there is a similar 

 difference in structure between Prismoptera and Antlirocroca to that between 

 Ernolatia and Norasuma, Prismoptera and Ernolatia having more prominent 

 prothorax, comparatively longer antennae, and transparent wings. 



Dr. Sharp communicated " Descriptions of eight new Species and a new 

 Genus of Cossonides from New Zealand," and " Descriptions of some new 

 Species and a new Genus of Khynchophorous Coleoptera from the Hawaiain 

 Islands." 



