254 Chronicles of Science. [April, 



reference to the explanation of the cause of mimicry in butterflies, 

 an instance was given by Mr. Bolt, of Maranham, who, having an 

 opportunity of watching the nest of an insectivorous bird, found 

 that the Heliconidae, the family imitated, were invariably rejected. 

 In reply to an observation of Dr. Sharp's, that the fact of a bird 

 not catching an imitating butterfly like Lejptalis, implied a want of 

 perception on its part, Mr. Wallace said that birds sought their 

 prey by sight and not by smell, and that it was not to be expected 

 that a bird would catch a thousand distasteful Heliconias on the 

 chance of obtaining one Leptalis, such being the proportion of 

 numbers of the two insects. A paper was read by Mr. M'Lachlan 

 on a new genus of Hemerobiidae (Bajnsma), and another of Perlidae 

 (Stenoperla). 



December 7. — Captain Hutton, in a communication respecting 

 the Japan silkworm (Bombyx Yamamai), expressed an opinion 

 that it was nothing more than a hybrid between Bombyx mori and 

 Bombyx Sinensis. Prof. Westwood, in exhibiting a selection of 

 the butterflies collected many years ago in Brazil by the late Dr. 

 Burchell, observed that an examination of this collection, which 

 was made over a long line of country, the locality of each specimem 

 being carefully recorded, had almost induced him to abandon his 

 belief in the immutability of species ; but he reserved the subject for 

 fuller details at a future meeting. The following papers were 

 read:— By Professor Zeller, communicated by Mr. Stainton, "On 

 the Crambidse and other Families of Moths," collected by the Bev. 

 0. P. Cambridge in Egypt and the Holy Land ; by Mr. Butler, 

 " On the genus Hestia, with remarks on the natural affinities of 

 the Danaidse." 



January 21. — Annual Meeting. — The President delivered an 

 address, after which the following officers were elected for 1867 : — 

 President, Sir John Lubbock, Bart., F.B.S., &c. ; Treasurer, S. 

 Stevens, F.L.S. ; Secretaries, J. W. Dunning, M.A., &c, and D. 

 Sharp, M.B. ; Librarian, E. W. Janson. It was announced that 

 one of the prizes offered by the council for essays on Economic 

 Entomology had been awarded to Dr. Wallace, of Colchester, for 

 an essay on the oak-feeding silkworm of Japan. 



February 4. — Mr. Wormald exhibited a collection of insects from 

 Shanghai, made by Mr. W. Pryer, among which was a new Bombyx, 

 allied to B. Huttoni. Mr. Janson exhibited a collection of insects 

 from Vancouver's Island, including a specimen of the curious genus 

 Plectrura. Mr. C. A. Wilson, of Adelaide, communicated some 

 notes on Cerapterus Macleayi and Calosoma Curtisii — the latter 

 was now found under the dried droppings of cattle, a habitat it 

 has chosen since the introduction of those animals. Dr. Wallace 

 read a paper " On some Variations observed in Bombyx Cynthia in 

 1866." 



