Entomological Society. 5247 



recent wound in the laurel stem ; a very small quantity was imbibed, and more was 

 sought very assiduously, but seemingly without success. I once observed the first pair 

 of legs porrected, and being held close together, the maxillae were introduced between 

 them and withdrawn several times in succession : this was very new to me, as I do not 

 recollect having before seen the fore-legs of a pseudo-tetrapod butterfly used for any 

 purpose whatever: in this case they appeared as cleansing instruments, and reminded 

 me a little of the velvet-cushioned paws of a cat, as used after her lips had been 

 sprinkled with milk, a constant result of lapping that favourite beverage. A state of 

 rest succeeded this cleansing, during which the butterfly inclined on one side, as though 

 unable to maintain an erect position; and the angle of inclination increased very 

 gradually, until in about an hour and a half the insect fell on its side ; the slight shock 

 of the fall was followed by a few gentle movements, the most notable of these being 

 the reversal of the wings, the under sides of which were brought into approximation, 

 not contact, beneath the body ; the legs being, by the same movement, quite deprived 

 of their locus standi. Life was extinct, and from first to last there had not been the 

 slightest indication of suffering. I do not theorise as to the immediate cause of death : 

 I do not assert that, because the insect sipped the laurel-juice, it committed either 

 intentionally or unintentionally an act of felo-de-se : the very atmosphere of a tumbler 

 inverted on bruised laurel is impregnated with deadly poison in a gaseous state, and 

 this enters the system through the spiracles as readily as a liquid through the 

 conjoined maxillae." 



Mr. Smith always found the bruised laurel-leaves killed Hymen optera very 

 speedily. He could not agree with Mr. Newman, that, in the case of the butterfly 

 alluded to, the process which took an hour and a half to destroy life was not attended 

 with suffering. 



Mr. Douglas said that a short time since he had placed a number of Coleoptera, 

 amongst which was a specimen of Necrobia ruficollis, in a bottle containing bruised 

 laurel-leaves: after a lapse of several days he had found the Necrobia still alive. 



Mr. Weir remarked that Eupisteria hepararia seemed less affected by the laurel 

 poison than any other Lepidoptera he had observed. 



Mr. Hudson found the fumes of the bruised laurel-leaves very powerful for the 

 first day or two, but the strength was gradually lost. 



Mr. Walker had found the laurel-leaves much more powerful in hot than in cold 

 weather. 



Mr. Douglas remarked on the immense numbers of small insects, especially 

 Coleoptera, lately seen on the wing at sunset, which he attributed to the great heat 

 and stillness of the atmosphere. 



Mr. Stevens had noticed this circumstance in previous years during very hot and 

 dry weather. 



Mr. Westwood called attention to Dr. Schaum's continuation of the late Dr. 

 Erichson's ' Naturgischichte Deutschlands,' which had just been placed in his hands 

 by Mr. Wollaston, and adverted to the fact that the Cicindelidae had in it again been 

 raised to the rank of a family. — E. S. 



