Entomological Society. 3367 



a native insect. Mr. Curtis expressed his belief that Mr. Douglas's specimen was 

 imported, and that fortunately the species was not British, for in France corn in gra- 

 naries decreased from 40 to 70 #" cent, by its feeding thereon. He further observed 

 that the species is well characterized by its extremely falcate inferior wings, and is 

 apparently related to Stephens's genus Cleodora, which is established by dissections 

 in plate 671 of the ' British Entomology,' though now included by Mr. Douglas in the 

 genus Gelechia, which, as it now stands in Mr. Stain ton's Catalogue, is a most hetero- 

 geneous group. Mr. Curtis expressed his regret that we cannot come to some under- 

 standing regarding generic names, for until they are settled, science must be a laby- 

 rinth not easily comprehended by the learned entomologist, and incomprehensible to 

 the young student in Natural History. 



Mr. Spence read an extract of a letter from G. H. Thwaites, Esq., M.E.S., now in 

 Ceylon, informing him that he had lectured to a mixed audience of Europeans and 

 Cingalese, on the habits and instincts of insects, especially directing attention to the 

 Termites, with a view to the study of their metamorphoses. 



The President read a note from Albert Way, Esq., stating that in a basket of old 

 Roman bones, sent a year or more since to Mr. Quekett, at the College of Surgeons, 

 for examination, were found, after a long interval, a great number of Obrium minu- 

 tura, which had doubtless proceeded from the willows of which the basket was made. 

 The President said that Mr. Stevens had once brought a similar case before the Soci- 

 ety ; and Mr. Smith added that he had more than once reared this beetle from bram- 

 ble-sticks. 



Mr. Stevens exhibited a very fine variety of Argynnis Paphia, beautifully suffused 

 with black, which had been captured in 1849 at Darenth Wood. 



The President read the following extract of a letter from Brigadier J. B. Hearsey, 

 dated Wuzeerabad, August 6, 1851, and exhibited the insects referred to. 



" As I was sitting in my flower-garden on the 4th of this month, with a ' bearer' 

 fanning me with a large date-palm-leaf fan, he called my attention to a large showy- 

 plant of (Enothera speciosa, which he was aware I was taking great care of, covered 

 with insects. It was then three feet high, and had eight or ten branches ; the whole 

 was densely covered with insects (the Galeruca sent herewith) ; they could not have 

 been on it half an hour, and it was almost denuded of foliage and flowers. I drove 

 them all off, and put twenty or thirty into a bottle of spirit of wine. The sun had now 

 set, and soon after I went into my house, as it is not wholesome to sit out of doors in 

 such hot, steamy nights. The next morning, the moment I was dressed, I went into 

 the garden to look at my " speciosa : " the ten stems had nothing on them but some 

 hard seed-capsules, every leaf, flower, and bud was devoured, and the stems bending 

 from the weight of these Galerucae. I determined on revenge. I ordered two ' chil- 

 lumchees ' (large, circular, shallow brass pans, which are used in this country for the 

 water to fall into as the ' bearer' pours it into your joined hands to wash your face 

 with, and also to wash your feet in) to be put under the stems and half filled with boil- 

 ing water, the stems were then shaken, and the insects that did not fall were knocked 

 into them as they attempted flight ; at least 1000 were thus destroyed. But now for 

 the wonderment. The (Enothera speciosa is one of three kinds of that plant that I 

 have raised from American seeds. I had blossoming in my garden one plant of CE. 

 speciosa, and several of CE. salicifolia and longicaulis. These plants were never grown 

 in this country before this rainy season, and certainly never blossomed. The speciosa 

 does not flower till the second year, but still, an insect produced in this country, which 



