FOOT ON IRISH EEPIDOPTERA. 15 



the only butterfly he had ever seen do so — "is the power which 

 this insect possesses of making a noise. Several times, when a pair, 

 probably male and female, were chasing each other in an irregular 

 course, they passed within a few yards of me, and I distinctly heard a 

 clicking noise, similar to that produced by a toothed wheel passing 

 under a spring catch. The noise was continued at short intervals, and 

 could be distinguished at about twenty yards' distance. I cannot," he 

 adds, " form a conjecture how it is produced; but I am certain there 

 is no error in the observation" — (Doubleday and Hewitson's " Genera 

 of European Butterflies," letterpress, p. 83). 



The past season was one of great scarcity, entomologically speaking ; 

 and many insects which I noticed in abundance, and captured to my 

 satiety in 1868, 1 hardly met with in the same part of the country, and in 

 the corresponding season this year. The plentiful occurrence of Colias 

 edusa is an exception to the statement just made ; but it has often been 

 remarked that it does not at all follow that good things are not to be met 

 with, although there may be a paucity of the more common insects. 



I hope on a future occasion to have the honour of bringing be- 

 fore this Society some specimens of other orders of insects collected 

 this year, and to exhibit specimens of the Neuroptera and Diptera 

 as soon as I shall have arranged and identified them. 



Mr. "W. F. Kirby observed that it is difficult to obtain perfect speci- 

 mens of Bombyces, except by rearing them. The oak eggar, commonly 

 found in Ireland, is not identical with the true oak eggar of England 

 {Lasiocampa quercus), which is very rare in Ireland; on the other hand^ 

 the Irish sub-species (Lasiocampa calunce) is local in Britain, occur- 

 ring in Scotland, Cornwall, etc. ; it feeds on heath instead of oak, and 

 appears at a different time of the year. The Painted Lady Pyrameis 

 cardui) is known to be a migrating insect, as are several other strong- 

 flying butterflies. 



A dwarf sub-species of Acherontia atropos, (A. styx) occurs in India, 

 and likewise another Acherontia (-4. laehesis), which is fully as large 

 as our common A. atropos, but has the fore wings more variegated, and 

 the abdomen and hind wings much darker ; it has also the eyes of the 

 skull much more distinct, and the skull itself is more or less marked 

 with red. 



The Eev. Dr. Haughton made some remarks upon the connexion 

 existing between the meteorological character of a season, and the 

 abundance and scarcity of insects. 



Dr. Foot exhibited to the meeting a series of preserved larvae, 

 mounted and named for the cabinet, which he had procured from E. L. 

 Davis, Preserver of larvse to Museums, etc., Albert Road, New Town, 

 Waltham Cross, Herts. 



