5764 Entomological Society. 



Mr. Smith exhibited the at present unique specimen of Tropideres sepicola, Herbst, 

 taken in August last, by Mr. F. Plant, in Budden Wood, Leicestershire, and now pre- 

 sented by him to the British Museum. 



Mr. Janson exhibited a specimen of Myrmedonia cognata, M'derk,, being the third 

 indigenous example hitherto recorded, taken by Mr. E. Shepherd in a nest of Formica 

 fuliginosa ; a pair of Atemeles emarginatus which he had taken in copuld, and 

 observed that he had not been able to detect any external sexual distinction ; and a 

 pair of Ampedus subcarinatus captured a few days since. 



Mr. Bond exhibited specimens of Mixodia Hawkerana bred from sea spurge, and 

 the pupa-cases from which they emerged. 



Mr. Hawker also exhibited specimens of the Mixodia, and the shoots of the sea 

 spurge in which the insects had assumed the pupa state. 



Mr. Robinson exhibited a drawing of the larva of Polyommatus Artaxerxes feeding 

 on Helianthemum vulgare. 



Mr. Janson made some observations on Mr. Smith's remarks on Bledius hispidus, 

 Parfitt, with reference to which subject Mr. Westwood denied that he had, as stated, 

 informed Mr. Parfitt that this species was new to Science. 



Mr. Newman communicated the following: — 



A Word on the Pseudogynous Lcpidoptcra. 



" The attention of entomologists has lately been directed to a phenomenon, which, 

 under a severe scrutiny, seems to have arisen from the questionable position of an ex- 

 ception into the importance of a normal law. I allude to Agamogcnesis. I have now 

 to invite attention to what might be termed a compensating or balancing phenomenon, 

 — a phenomenon which, instead of providing an unlooktd-for multiplication of life, 

 seems to dry up the source of life. This phenomenon is Pseudogynism, or the occur- 

 rence of false or unproductive females. It is very familiar to the breeders of domestic 

 cattle, by whom such false females are called free martins. All attempts to overcome 

 their sterility having of course been unsuccessful, they have been abandoned, and the 

 beasts have been at once fattened for the butcher. I think entomologists have not 

 hitherto recorded the existence of the same free martinism, or pseudogynism, among 

 moths; it is nevertheless a fact that it exists to a very great extent, more than half 

 the individuals of certain species proving sterile females. The first observation I 

 made on this subject was in 1846, on an autumnal- disclosed specimen of Orthosia 

 iuslabilis, the abdomen of which was opened, with a view of ascertaining the state of 

 the eggs on the occasion of this unwonted first appearance on the stage of life. Eggs 

 there were none ; the abdomen was a hollow cylinder, without any trace whatever of 

 an ovary, or indeed of any portion of the ordinary contents. The next observation 

 was made on an example of Sphinx Convolvuli taken the same year. The captor slit 

 open the abdomen longitudinally, from the anus to the insertion of the legs, intend- 

 ing to remove the contents prior to drying the insect for the cabinet. In this case 

 also the abdomen was perfectly empty. My notes on this subject were laid by, but 

 not forgotten, until 1851, when I received a notice from the South of France respecting 

 Deilephila Celerio, which that year appeared in profusion in the months of September 

 and October, the report stating that all the females were barren. This of course 



