168 



the Australian Continent ; from one-fourlb to one-third of the Coleoptera appeared to 

 be species new to Science. 



Mr. Bond sent for exhibition the following Lepidopterous Larviie, admirably pre- 

 served by Mr. T. Baker, of Cambridg-e : — Papilio Machaon in four different stages of 

 growth, Vanessa lo, Arctia caja, Odonestis potatoria, Gastropacha quercifolia, Por- 

 thesia auriflua, and Cucullia Verbasci. 



Prof. Westwood remarked that Mr. Baker's preparations rivalled those of Dresden 

 in beauty : he had been informed that the method adopted at Dresden was to squeeze 

 out the intestines through a hole made near the anal extremity of the larva, then to 

 insert a fine straw, and blow the skin out, after which it was placed in a glass vase, 

 which was itself placed in a tin vessel and held over a lamp, by which the larva-skin 

 was quickly dried. The small larvs, as those of the Tinese, were put alive into the 

 hot bottle, baked until they swelled to the proper extent and dried, and were then 

 pinned with all their contents inside. 



Mr. D. Sharp exhibited a specimen of Coccinella labialis, taken a week previously 

 at Heme Bay. 



Mr. Janson expressed an opinion that C. labialis was only a variety of the common 

 C 7-punctata. 



Mr. Waring exhibited two males and a female of Lithostege nivearia, taken in 

 Suffolk ; and a male specimen of Sterrha sacraria, taken at Banstead Downs : both 

 these rare Geometrse had been captured by Mr. Bouchard. 



Mr. Stainton entered at length into some interesting details respecting the charac- 

 ters of the mines of numerous genera of leaf-mining Tineae, and exhibited the result 

 of his observations by means of a table, iu the different columns of which the principal 

 and distinguishing peculiarities of each genus were shown. 



^ Papers read. 



Mr. Walker communicated a paper entitled "Characters of undescribed Lepi- 

 doptera :" the species described belonged to the three Heterocerous families of the 

 Castniidae, Agaristidee and Zygaeuids, and were most of them in the collection of the 

 British Museum. 



Prof. Westwood read some " Descriptions of new Species of Longicorn Beetles :" 

 some of the species described belonged to Mr.. Semper, of Altona, and were principally 

 from the Manillas j the other descriptions were drawn up from specimens in the 

 Oxford Museum. 



The Secretary read the Introductory Kemarks to Major Parry's " Catalogue of 

 Lucanoid Coleoptera ; with Descriptions and Figures of new and interesting 

 Species." 



Arising out of some remarks by Major Parry on the extraordinary mandibular de- 

 velopment of the Lucanida?, and a suggestion that the intermediate form of male, more 

 nearly resembling the female, so constantly found in this group of insects, might pos- 

 sibly be neuters, an interesting conversation took place. Mr. Bates inquired whether 

 the generative organs of these so-called small or intermediate males had ever been 

 properly examined, and referred to Mr. Pascoe's explanation of similar phenomena 

 among the Longicorns, by what was termed " dimorphism." Prof. Westwood said 

 that the suggestion that these were neuter forms was not new, but had been made by 

 Kirby and Spence in their ' Introduction to Entomology ;' he himself had never exa- 

 mined the organs of generation of these particular forms, but intermediate male forms 



