318 CPi-oc. B.N.F.C, 



"A TALK ABOUT MOTHS." 



The second meeting of the Winter Session was held in 

 the Muiseum, College Square North, on 20th December, when 

 there was a large attendance of members and friends. Previous 

 to the meeting the usual " Science Gossip Half -hour " was 

 occupied for informal discussion by members, when a white 

 Water-Rail, recently shot in County Down, was exhibited by 

 Mr. Robert Patterson, and sample of rhaetic bone beds of 

 Aust, Bristol, by Mr. Robert Bell. At eight o'clock the 

 President (Mr. W. J. Fennell, M.R.I.A.I.) took the chair, 

 and called on Rev. G-eorge Foster to read his paper. The title 

 of the paper was " A Talk About Moths: the Life History of 

 a Poplar Hawk Moth, as Told by Herself," and in Mr. 

 Foster's treatment of the subject a female poplar hawk moth 

 was represented as sitting one night towards the close of 

 summer on the trunk of a willow tree — her usual hiding- 

 place — and moralising upon her past life. By this means the 

 attention of the audience was directed in a picturesque man- 

 ner to the four metamorphoses or stages in the life-history of 

 these insects. First, the egg set on the rough side of a willow 

 leaf was described, and the dangers ^threatening the young 

 germ of life therein were pointed out. The caterpillar and 

 its various changes of skin as it grew to maturity next occu- 

 pied attention, and its powers of attack and defence, and its 

 innate mimicry of the leaves of the food plant, were set forth. 

 Next was told the caterpillar's journey down the tree to bury 

 itself in the ground, where the winter is spent in the chrysalis- 

 case. Lastly, how the insect, with wings still folded and 

 crushed up, left the case and made its way through the 

 ground, up the trunk of its native tree, when its wings ex- 

 panded, and at last the perfect insect took to flight and went 

 forth to sip honey from the flowers, and to lay eggs on other 

 willow or poplar trees. The poplar hawk moth and other 

 moths born and bred on willow or poplar trees and reared by 

 the writer were exhibited. 



The paper was spoken to by Mr. John Hamilton. 



