276 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



Mr. F. Perry Coste gave an abstract of a paper on the chemistry of 

 the colours in insects, chiefly Lepidoptera. The paper was criticised by 

 Prof. Meldola, who was unable to accept the views expressed, the results of 

 the experiments made being, in his opinion, inconclusive. 



The meeting was brought to a close by the exhibition of an excellent 

 oxy-hydrogen lantern, recently presented to the Society by Dr. R. C. A. 

 Prior, when Dr. R. B. Sharpe exhibited a number of coloured slides of 

 birds designed to illustrate the interesting subject of mimicry and protective 

 coloration. 



The President announced that the last meeting of the session would 

 take place on Thursday, June 16th. 



June 16. — Prof. Stewart, President, in the chair. 



Mr. J. R. Leeson was admitted and Messrs. T. Cooke, F. J. Clarke, 

 and J. Mellor were elected Fellows of the Society. 



Mr. F. Enock exhibited some specimens of the Mustard Beetle, and gave 

 an account of its recent depredations as observed by himself in Cambridge- 

 shire. So numerous was it that in walking down a single row of mustard, 

 a distance of sixty-five yards, he had captured with a butterfly-net upwards 

 of 15,000, as he subsequently ascertained by counting a portion and 

 weighing the remainder. The crop of mustard thus affected he regarded 

 as destroyed. 



Mr. R. J. Pocock exhibited and made some remarks upon a species of 

 Peripatus (P.juliformis), from St. Vincent, of which five specimens had 

 been collected by Mr. H. H. Smith for the Committee investigating the 

 fauna and flora of the Lesser Antilles. The species was originally described 

 so long ago as 1826 by the Rev. L. Guilding (Zool. Journ. vol. ii.), but from 

 that time until the present no additional specimens had been procured 

 there. As Guilding's types had been lost, and his descriptions are wanting 

 in detail, this re-discovery was of considerable interest. 



Mr. George Murray exhibited and described the type of a new order of 

 Algae, to which the name Splachnidium rugosum was given. 



A paper was read by Prof. J. R. Henderson, entitled " Contributions 

 to Indian Carcinology," and embodied an account of several little-known 

 crustaceans, and descriptions of some new species. 



Mr. H. B. Guppy read a paper on " the Thames as an agent in plant 

 dispersal," in which several interesting facts were brought out, the 

 observations being illustrated by specimens collected by the author, and a 

 useful record given of the effects of exposure to sea-water, and of freezing 

 upon the germinating power of seeds. 



Prof. F. Oliver gave an abstract of observations made by Miss M. F. 

 Evvart on some abnormal developments of the flowers of Cypripediiun, 

 illustrated by effective diagrams in coloured chalk. 



