Royal Physical Society. 3 



jn the aeorns so firmly, that you can hardly pick them out again, and 

 afterwards break them open, and eat something that is within the shell- 

 The native Californians are so well acquainted with the fact, that they 

 say when the woodpeckers commence early, it is a sign that we shall have 

 a severe winter. They keep boring the holes all the summer, and are 

 all ready for harvest when the acorns are ripe." His brother adds that 

 Mr Simson came across Mexico with John Audubon (he presumed the 

 son), who watched them, stuffed their skins, and knows all about them. 

 They first observed these acorn deposits in Chihuahua. Mr Murray was 

 inclined to think that the evidence contained in these letters would be 

 sufficient to satisfy the Society, as it had done himself, that there is good 

 ground for believing that bona fide acorn deposits are in California stored 

 up for future consumption by a woodpecker. 



Dr Lowe moved that the thanks of the Society be given to Mr Wil- 

 liam Murray, San Francisco, not only for the curious communication 

 which had just been read by Mr A. Murray, but also for the various ser- 

 vices he had from time to time rendered to the cause of physical science 

 in general. And Mr Murray was requested to convey to his brother the 

 thanks of the Society. 



III. Notice of the Lepidopterous captures near Edinburgh, during the 

 past Season. By Wm. H. Lowe, M.D. 

 Dr Lowe having been appointed Convener of the Entomological Com- 

 mittee at the last winter meeting of the Society, said, he thought that, 

 although, from the small number of entomologists in Edinburgh, and those 

 for the most part engaged in active professions, little had been accom- 

 plished during the past summer, still he had several species of Lepidop- 

 tera to bring forward as new to the list published by him and Mr R. F. 

 Logan in 1852. As his own captures, he mentioned Trachea piniperda 

 (two specimens), Micropteryx unimaculella, Peronea Hastiana, Tinea 

 Zinhenii. To these he had to add Pterophorus acanthodactylus, 1851 , 

 Argynnis selene, 1853, Satyrus davus, Hepialus velleda, Cabera epcan- 

 themaria, Euthemonia plantaginis, Xanthia rufina, Dosithea rever- 

 saria, all which were owing to the industry of Mr Andrew Wilson of 

 this city, and with the exception of Cabera exanthemaria, which had 

 been previously taken by Mr Peter Fairbairn, as well as by Dr Lowe, 

 were additions to the insects of this district. Dr L . also noticed Coccyx 

 strobilana, which had been taken in a greenhouse at Newington, and 

 which was traced to a basket of fir cones sent to Edinburgh by Mrs Scott 

 of Gala. Among other insects also observed and taken this year were 

 Macaria lituraria, Spoelotis cataleuca, Agrotis obelisca, A. putr'is, 

 Caradriyta morpheus, Hadena adusta, <kc. There was also a fine 

 series of Dosithea scutularia, bred from caterpillars, and which, in that 

 early stage of development, had been frozen hard, and left to thaw in 

 the ordinary way, but which had, nevertheless, produced beautiful spe- 



