'^^90.] 225 



Oonstant, and Bucculatrix hdwhrysella ; and also a volume of drawings of larvae of 

 the genus Eupithecia, by Mr. Buckler, vrliich formerly belonged to the late Eev. H. 

 Harpur Crewe. 



Mr. McLachlan exhibited larvae and cocoons of Mecyna deprivalis, Walk., sent 

 by Mr. W. W. Smith, of Ashburton, New Zealand ; the species feeds commonly on 

 Genista capensis, an introduced plant. Mr. McLachlan remarked on the cui'ious 

 nature of the larva, and suggested that as the species was so closely allied to M, 

 polygonalis, so extremely rare in this country, they might be interesting to British 

 Lepidopterists. 



Mr. Jacoby exhibited abnormal specimens of a phytophagous be<?tle, Iletax- 

 onycha tridentata, Jac, in which one side of the thorax was furnished with teeth, 

 as in the type, whereas the other side was quite simple, and presented no trace of 

 teeth. 



The Secretary, on behalf of Mr. J. Edwards, exhibited specimens of Gyrimts 

 colymhus, Er., with specimens of G. elovgatus, Aube, for comparison ; he also exhi- 

 bited drawings of the aedeagus of both species, proving their distinctness. 



Mr. Bower exhibited Phoxopteryx upupana, bred from larvae feeding between 

 united birch-leaves at Chiselhurst, September, 1889 ; and Scardia picarella, bred 

 from fungus collected in Durham in May, 1870. 



Mr. S. Stevens, in speaking of a tour which he had lately made in Devonshire, 

 remarked on the extreme scarcity of insects on the coast of that county, as compared 

 with the coasts of Kent and Sussex ; there were very few larvae, and the vegetation 

 was very luxuriant, and very little eaten ; he thought it possible that the reason 

 of the scarcity was the heavy rainfall of South Devon, which washed ofP and 

 destroyed the young larvae. Mr. Barrett said that his experience had been the 

 same, and that he put it down to the violence of the winds which beat the insects 

 from the trees. Mr. Blandford remarked that he had found Coleoptera abundant 

 on the Braunton Burrows, near Barnstaple, but very scarce in other localities. Mr. 

 Mason and others took part in the discussion which followed. 



Mr. Stevens further said that when at Exeter he visited the Museum, and was 

 pleased to see the original specimen of Plusia »i in the late Mr. H. Dorville's col- 

 lection, taken at Alphington, near Exeter, in August, 1868, and a specimen of 

 Callimorpha Hera, taken also at Alpliington in August, 1871, wliich is about six 

 miles from the locality in which the latter insect is now said to occur ; both the 

 specimens are in fine condition. 



Prof. Westwood read a paper on a species of Aphis, sent by Mr. E. Ernest 

 Green, of Ceylon, afPecting the bread-fruit tree, which he had named Siphonophora 

 artocarpi ; at the conclusion of his paper he alluded to the use of Paris-green as a 

 destructive agent for insects. Mr. Blandford then made some remarks as to the use 

 of London-purple (another arsenic compound) as an insecticide in the place of 

 Paris-green ; he stated that the compound was a waste product, and one-tenth the 

 cost of Paris-green, and further that it was more soluble and more easily applied ; 

 he was also of opinion that arsenic compounds do not greatly affect sucking insects, 

 such as Aphides, the ordinary kerosene preparations being more suitable for their 

 destruction. Several Fellows took part in the discussion that followed. — W. W. 

 Fowler, Hon. Sec. 



