Society of British Entomologists. 4521 



the Paris Society of Zoological Aeclimatation: — 'The number of the species of 

 animals generally reckoned by the modern naturalists exceeds 140,000, the greatest 

 part of which will be perhaps always useless to man ; whilst up to the present time 

 we have not been able to domesticate more than 43 species.' How much, then, 

 remains to be done, and why, for instance, should we not follow the example of the 

 Canary Islands, which have already more than doubled the value of their rural 

 products by the easy cultivation of cochineal, and attempt to introduce at once this 

 valuable insect into the Province of Nice, or, at least, into the Island of Sardinia, 

 where the Cactry spantia [? Cactus Opuntia] thrives in abundance. 



" G. F. Baruft. 

 " Turin, April 29th, 1854." 



Mr. Westwood said that Professor Solly had made several experiments on the co- 

 coons sent by Dr. Templeton from Malta, and he believed he had discovered the much- 

 desired method of unwinding the silk from the cocoon. — J. W. D. 



Society of Beitish Entomologists. 



October 3, 1854. — Mr. Harding, President, in the chair. 



The President exhibited a specimen of Lithosia muscerda taken by Mr. Buxton, 

 and also the following Lepidoptera taken by himself: — 



Noctua hebraica (N. glareosa of Stephens) taken near Dartford : this insect is rare 

 so far South, but is not uncommon in the North of England. 



Xanthia croceago and Hadena lutulenta, taken in Darenth wood. 



Opostega crepusculella, taken at Deal. 



The President called the attention of the meeting to the food-plants of Lepidop- 

 terous larvae : he had collected on the Kentish coast a great number of larva?, belonging 

 to the families of Tortrix and Tinea, feeding on a variety of plants : many of these he 

 exhibited last season, and two of the insects bred from these proved to be new. Many 

 species of insects feed on a single species of plant, while others were less particular, 

 feeding on several species: ou the present occasion, he (the President) would confine 

 his observations to species of insects which fed on a single species of plant, but on a 

 future occasion he would extend them to those which fed on several : he exhibited the 

 following: — 



Ebulea crocealis, its pupa and food-plant, Inula dysenterica. 



Coleophora fuscedenella, its larva-case and food-plaut, Alnus glutinosus. 



Coleophora Troglodytella, its larva-case and food-plant, Eupatoria cannabina: 

 this larva, when full fed, quits the plant on which it has been feeding, and attaches 

 itself to any oiher in the vicinity, and there undergoes its metamorphosis : it is very 

 subject to the attacks of an ichneumonideous parasite, the male of which is winged 

 and the female apterous. 



Pterophorus lithodactvlus, its pupa-case and food- plant, Inula dysenterica. 



Tortrix spectrana, its pupa and food-plant: the larvae draw together the tops of 

 the common reed (Arundo phragmites) and sometimes also the leaves of the horse- 

 radish (Cochlearia armoracia). 



Tortrix Viburnana : the larva of this species is very beautiful, the ground-colour 

 being white with black spots : it feeds on Chlora perfoliata. 



