116 MEETINGS. 



Mr. E. D. Marquand then in his usual lucid style gave a 

 short address on the " Wings of Insects." He prefaced 

 his remarks by denning an insect in its scientific sense, 

 because many small creatures usually and conveniently 

 grouped under that name in common conversation are 

 not true insects at all. This vast class is divided into 

 a number of orders, based upon the character of the 

 wings, which are normally four in number, transparent, 

 membranous, and netted with veins. In the Hymenoptera 

 (bees, wasps, ichneumon-flies, &c.),.we find this normal condi- 

 tion in its highest perfection, and no better typical example 

 can be selected, as regards the wing-system, than a common 

 hive bee. From this type the other orders deviate. In the 

 Coleoptera (beetles) the anterior pair of wings is hard, horny 

 and opaque, serving as a sheath and protection for the 

 inferior pair, which are used for flight. In the Lepidoptera 

 (butterflies and moths) all the wings are densely clothed with 

 microscopic scales arranged in various patterns of exquisite 

 beauty, whilst in the Diptera (two-winged flies) the anterior 

 pair alone are developed, the others being replaced by two 

 minute appendages, the exact function of which is not clearly 

 known. Mr. Marquand went on to describe with blackboard 

 sketches the wing-characters of the Neuroptera (Dragon flies), 

 Hemiptera (field bugs), Trichoptera (caddis flies), and other 

 orders of insects, concluding with some special remarks upon 

 the forms which are always destitute of wings, not only the 

 abnormal apterous species which occur in all orders, but those 

 constituting an extensive group by themselves, most of which 

 are parasitical on the higher vertebrates. 



A paper on " The Evolution of Insects' Wings " was 

 read by Mr. A. Collenette, F.C.S., of which the following is an 

 abstract : — 



The first indication of a wing is visible, according to 

 Landois in the caterpillar, one day^ after its exit from the egg. 

 From that period of its life the wing is gradually developed. 

 The third and fourth segments bear the wings. These 

 segments have their stigmata suppressed. The reason is that 

 wings are modified tracheate-gills. The varieties of breathing 

 organs in the Arthropoda were described, especial attention 

 being given to the Branchiopoda and Phylopoda. From 

 the known forms of these modifications the reasoning of the 

 paper was drawn, viz., that wings are modified breathing 

 organs. The possible mode of evolution was traced, using 

 the " Mayflies " as examples of intermediate forms between 

 gill-footed and tracheate-breathers, these flies being the lineal 



