Quadrupeds . — Birds. 4179 



Captain Cox's opinion, that any poison was diffused by the insects, either in the case of 

 the Cossus or Scolytus ; he attributed the injury to simple mechanical causes, since 

 the galleries or perforations of these insect-pests either arrested the flow of sap altogether, 

 or diverted it from its ordinary channels ; the admission thus given to rain-water, and 

 also to other insects, likewise tended to accelerate decay. 



Butterflies of the Valley of the Amazon. 



Mr. Wallace read the concluding portion of his "Notes on the Habits of the But- 

 terflies of the Amazonian Valley." 



Mr. Westwood, in reference to a remark in Mr. Wallace's paper, that a certain 

 species of Hesperia, with a very beautiful under surface, sat with its wings erect, ob- 

 served that Nature generally provided that adornments of this kind should be exhi- 

 bited ; it was particularly the case with the Catocalidae, which, having very beautiful 

 under wings, rested with the upper wings open, so that the under wings were 

 exposed. 



Mr. Curtis differed from Mr. Westwood; he thought that in the genus Catocala, 

 especially in C. nupta, this was not the case. — J. W. D. 



Note on a Bat on the wing in December. — December 11, 1853. A bat flying in 

 Talland church during divine service: the weather gloomy, thermometer 38°. The 

 vicar informs me that in the autumn, when he entered the church in the evening, 

 bats were flying about in it in great numbers: and also, that when tradesmen were 

 repairing the roof, as many bats were caught as might have filled a wheelbarrow. — 

 Jonathan Couch ; Polperro, December 12, 1853. 



The Serotine Bat (Vespertilio serotinus) in the Isle of Wight. — Dr. Martin hav- 

 ing already recorded the occurrence of this bat at Ventnor, it may be worth while 

 mentioning, as giving additional localities, that the same species is quite common in 

 the neighbourhood of Bembridge, where I have observed it for several years past, and 

 in fact it was the only large bat that I was able to procure there. During my stay at 

 Brixton, I have also noticed it in a few instances at the beginning of November last. 

 — A. G. More; Brixton, Isle of Wight, December 7, 1853. 



Further Occurrence of the Little Bustard near Penzance. — Another specimen of 

 the little bustard I observed to-day hanging up in a poulterer's shop in this place, and 

 purchased it for half-a-crown. I was told at the time that another had been offered 

 last evening, and four or five killed in the neighbourhood. The wind has been from 

 S.E. to S. for some days, and the bird has been shot some days. — Edward Hearle 

 Jlodd ; Penzance, December 22, 1853. 



Occurrence of the Goosander (Mergus Merganser) at Scilly. — Last evening I ob- 

 tained from Mr. Smith, the proprietor of the Scilly Islands, an adult female specimen 

 of the goosander, exhibiting on the breast a bright maroon-colour, uniform throughout. 

 These Arctic birds are not often seen so far South. — Id. ; December 24, 1853. 



