5840 Entomological Society. 



appear to hybernate in such situations. Amongst the Coleoptera thus taken were 

 several specimens of the rare Anchomenus Thoreyi. 



Mr. Stevens exhibited some drawings of larvae of Natal Lepidoptera, made by Mr. 

 R. W. Plant, and also the perfect insects bred from the larvae represented, amongst 

 which were several fine species of Bombyces and a new species of Acraea, the larva of 

 which was represented armed with long, branched spines, and is interesting from the 

 fact of the larvae of this genus having hitherto been unknown. 



Mr. Were read the following, by Mr. Newman, exhibiting the specimen described : — 

 Remarkable Variety of Arctia Caja. 



" Sex male. Head, antennae, tippets and abdomen have the normal colouring ; 

 all the other parts and colours abnormal ; the prothorax, mesothorax, fore wings and 

 entire disk of the hind wings an uniform brown, of that character which is frequently 

 called mouse-coloured ; there is not the slightest trace of the four colours (velvety 

 umber-brown, cream-colour, intense purple-black and bright red) which usually adorn 

 this beautiful insect; at the base of the hind-wings and along the abdominal margin 

 are long, hair-like scales, of the normal red colour ; beneath, the same uniform mouse- 

 colour pervades the entire surface of the wings, except the base of the hind-wings, 

 which is paler, and has the same long, red hairs which I have described on their upper 

 surface. The wing-rays are remarkably prominent, and appear of a darker brown than 

 the interspaces ; but this apparent difference of colour I attribute solely to their pro- 

 minence." 



Mr. Westwood exhibited a large larva (apparently of a Sphinx) preserved in spirits. 

 The species is said to cause great injury to the maize crops on the Parenia River, in 

 South America. He also exhibited a Nonagria, from the collection of Mr. Wollas- 

 ton, the larva of which is very injurious to the sugar-cane in Madeira. Mr. West- 

 wood observed that this insect is quite distinct from the species which damages the 

 cane in the West Indies, which latter was originally introudced from Ceylon. 



Structure of the Tarsi in Insects. 



Mr. Westwood exhibited an extremely minute species of Coleopterous insect, of 

 which several specimens were captured in the Island of Madeira by T. V. Wollas- 

 ton, Esq., who had placed them in his hands for examination. The species be- 

 longed to the same small group as the genus Orthoperus of Stephens, and several 

 other minute genera illustrated in Mr. Wollaston's ' InsectaMadeirensia,' all of which 

 were interesting on account of the structure of their tarsi. After referring to the ad- 

 ditional interest attaching to the study of the modifications of structure of insects, or 

 indeed of any other tribe of animals, consequent upon the investigation of homolo- 

 gies and the tracing of various structures to some normal type, Mr. Westwood referred 

 to the modifications in the structure of the tarsi of Coleopterous insects, which he con- 

 sidered typically to consist of five joints ; it was consequently interesting to know how 

 one or other of these joints became lost in certain beetles whose tarsi possessed fewer 

 than five joints, and whether this loss was effected either by the absolute want of a 

 joint, or by its existence, in a coalesced state, with one or other of the existing joints. 

 The great division of pseudotetramerous Coleoptera was then referred to by Mr. West- 

 wood, who considered it an excellent and natural division, sufficient of itself to prove 



