40 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Mr. Jenner Weir exhibited and made remarks on two dark specimens of 

 Zygc&na minos which had been caught by Mr. Blagg in Carnarvonshire. 

 He remarked that the specimens were not representatives of complete 

 melanism, and suggested that the word "phaeism" — from (paw?, dusky — 

 would be a correct word to apply to this and similar departures from the 

 normal color ition of a species. 



Mr. C. J. Gahan exhibited specimens of the common "book-louse," 

 Atropos pulsatoria, Fabr., which he had heard making a ticking noise similar 

 to that made by the "death-watch" (Anobium). 



Mr. B. A. Bovver exhibited the following rare species of Micro- 

 Lepidoptera : — Spilonota pauperana, Frol. ; Oelechia osteella, Stn. ; Chryto- 

 elysta bimaculella, Haw. ; and Elachista cingilella, Fisch. Lord Waisingham 

 and Mr. Tutt made some remarks on the specimens. 



Mr. H. Adkin exhibited a variety of Anthocharis cardamines, and one 

 specimen of Sesia scolimformis bred from a larva found at Rannoch. 



Mr. G. T. Baker read a paper entitled M Notes on Lyccena (recte Thecla), 

 Rhymnus, Tengstrcemii, and Pretiosa." A discussion followed, in which 

 Lord Waisingham, Capt. Elwes, and Mr. Baker took part. 



Mr. F. Merrifield read a paper entitled " The effects of artificial 

 temperature on the colouring of Vanessa urticce and certain other species of 

 Lepidoptera." The author stated that both broods of all three species of 

 Selenia, Platypteryx falcataria, Vanessa urticce, Bombyx quercus and var. 

 calluna, and Chelonia caja were affected by temperature in the pupal stage, 

 the lower temperature generally producing the greater intensity aud darkness 

 of colour ; some of the Vanessa urticm made a near approach to the var. 

 polaris of Northern Europe. A long. discussion ensued, in which Mr. E. B. 

 Poulton, Mr. McLachlan, Prof. Meldola, Mr. Barrett, Mr. Jenner Weir, 

 aud Lord Waisingham took part. 



Mr. W. Bateson read a paper entitled " On the variation in the colour 

 of the cocoons of Eriogaster lanestris and Saturnia carpini " and exhibited 

 a large number of specimens in illustration of the paper. Lord Waisingham 

 congratulated Mr. Bateson on his paper, and on the intelligent care and 

 method shown in his experiments, and said that he was glad to see that 

 at Cambridge there was an entomologist ready to enter this interesting 

 field of investigation, and perhaps at some future day to contest the 

 palm with Mr. Poulton as representing the sister University of Oxford. 

 He had noticed that the larvae of S. carpini, if left in a box with dead 

 food, and probably partially starved, made a light-coloured cocoon ; but 

 that when the cocoon was made under natural conditions, on living food- 

 plants on the moors, it was of a dark colour. Mr. Poulton, Prof. Meldola, 

 Mr. Bateson, and others continued the discussion. — II. Goss & W. W. 

 FoWLEB, Hon. Sees. 



