28 [January, 1890. 



which did not occur at Sikkim, and that the siniilarity of the insect fauna of the two 

 regions was very remarkable. He added that about fifteen years ago, in a paper 

 *' On the Birds of ^Vsia," he had called attention to the similarity of species inhabiting 

 the mountain, ranges of India, China, and Java. Mr. McLaehlan remarked that he 

 had lately received a dragonfly from Simla which had previously only been recorded 

 from Pekin. Mr. Distant said he had lately had a species of Cicada from Hong 

 Kong, which had hitherto been supposed to be confined to Java. 



Mr. W. H. B. Fletcher exhibited a preserved specimen of a variety of the larva 

 of Sphinx ligustri, taken in a wood near Arundel, Sussex. Mr. W. White asked if 

 the larva was normal in its early stage ; he also exhibited drawings of the larvae of 

 this species, and called especial attention to one of a vai'iety that had been exhibited 

 at a previous meeting by Lord Walsingham. 



Mr. F. D. Godman read a long letter from Mr. Herbert Smith, containing an 

 account of the Hymenoptera, Dipiera, Ilemiptera, and Coleoptera he had recently 

 collected in St. Vincent, where he was employed under the direction of a Committee 

 of the Royal Society, appointed to investigate the Natural History of the West 

 Indies. A discussion followed, in wliich Dr. Sharp, Mr. Elwes, Lord Walsingham, 

 and Mr. McLaehlan took part. 



Mr. Elwes read a letter from Mr. Doherty, in wliieh the writer described his 

 experiences in collecting insects in the Naga Hills by means of light and sugar. 

 Mr. Doherty expressed an opinion that light, if used in very out-of-the-way places, 

 rather repelled than attracted insects; in fact, that they required to be accustomed 

 to it, and that the same remarks npjiilied to " sugar." Colonel Swinhoe said that the 

 atti'active power of light depended very much on its intensity, and on tlie height of 

 the light above the ground. By means of the electric light in Bombay he had 

 collected more than 300 specimens of Sphingidce in one night. Mr. J. J. Walker, 

 R.N., stated that he had found the electric light very attractive to insects in Panama. 

 Mr. McLaehlan, Dr. Sharp, Mr. Leech, Mr. Elwes, the Rev. Canon Fowler, Mr. A.J. 

 Rose and others continued the discussion. 



Mr. Lionel de Niceville communicated a paper entitled " Notes on a new genus 

 of LyccBiiidcB." 



Mr. F. Merrifield read a paper entitled " Systematic temperature experiments 

 on some Lepidoptera in all their stages," and exhibited a number of specimens in 

 illustration. The author stated tliat the darkness of colour and the markings in 

 Ennomos aidumnaria resulted from the pupre being subjected to a very low tempe- 

 rature. In the case of Selenia illustraria, exposing the pupaj to a low temperature 

 had not only affected the colour of the imagos, but had altered the markings in a 

 striking manner. Lord Walsingham observed that it appeared that exposure to cold 

 in the pupa state produced a darker colouring in the imago, and that forcing in that 

 stage had an opposite effect ; that insects subjected to glacial conditions probably 

 derived some advantage from the development of dark or suffused colouring, and 

 that this advantage was, in all probability, the more rapid absorption of heat. He 

 said he believed that an heredilsiry tendency in favour of the darker forms was 

 established under glacial conditions, and that this would account for the prevalence 

 of melanic forms in northern latitudes and at high elevations. — H. Goss and 

 W. W. Fowler, Hon. Seen. 



