Entomological Society, 



6117 



Mr. Wcstwood exhibited a drawing of a dark variety of Acronycta Ligustri, and 

 of the larva liom which it had been bred by Mr. Henry Boyle. 



Captain Cox sent for exhibition a portion of a hop-pole perforated by the larva of 

 a Coleopterous insect, apparently a Callidium. 



Mr. Stevens communicated the following extract from a letter written by Mr. H. 

 W. Bates, from Sto. Paolo, Upper Amazons: — 



" On arriving at this station, one of the first new acquaintances in the butterfly 

 department which greeted me was the very beautiful Pandora Prola, Boisd., — at least 

 1 suppose it to be this species, from the nearly spotless scarlet colour of the under 

 surface of posterior wings; it was flying wildly about the streets of the village, en- 

 tering houses by the windows and settling on the walls: since then I have always 

 seen one or two on every very hot sunny day : the species does not penetrate the 

 forest; it is found only about the houses, and at a spot on the borders of the forest 

 where the vultures roost: its habits altogether are unlike those of any other species of 

 Nymphalidae ; it settles frequently, sometimes on the ground, attracted by offal, but 

 frequently on the trunks of trees, bare walls, &c., holding in repose its wings slighily 

 raised: it is excessively wary, and only during the very hottest weather allows itself 

 to be approached : I have captured several on my own person, as, when standing about 

 waiting an opportunity to obtain it, it is apt to sail up boldly and settle on one's 

 clothing; its habit of settling on the trunks of trees and its bold rapid style of flight 

 very much resemble the manner of the Ageroniae, and I am quite satisfied that the 

 true position of the genus Pandora is in proximity with Ageronia. There are two 

 grand species of this latter genus new to me also found here, one of which has the 

 greater part of the under surface of the hind wings red, and the other has the same 

 part saffron-yellow : they fly in company with Pandora at the place on the borders of 

 the forest, but do not wander so far in their flight. I wish to mention here 

 that I think there is quite an erroneous conception established by lepidopterists, of the 

 nature and aftinilies of the Ageroniae. M. Lacordaire and Mr. Wallace have said 

 that the chrysalis is secured by a ligature round the body ; I think there is some mis- 

 take about this: I have bred two species of the genus, and most certainly the chry- 

 salis is suspended by the tail like all the other Nymphalidoe. In our systems 

 the Ageronife are placed at the head of the Nymphalidae, near the true Papilionida3, 

 as though forming the connexion between the families. I think all this is a mis- 

 conception. There is no proximate affinity at all between the Papilionidie and 

 the Nymphalidae ; the two families are separated by the whole mass of the Ery- 

 cinida?. I should as little expect to find an Ageronia chrysalis with a ligature round 

 the body, as a true Papilio chrysalis suspended only by the tail. The larvae of 

 Ageronia are spinose ; the lines of thoracic segments densely ramose. In their flight 

 they make a smacking noise with their wings like the clicking of castanets, but rarely 

 repealed. The Pandora does not produce this noise." 



The Secretary read the following paper by Mr. A. R. Wallace: — 



A disputed case of Priority in Nomenclature, 



"Allow me to call the attention of the Entomological Society to what seems to me a 

 novel and most erroneous as well as inconvenient interpretation of the law of priority: 

 it is, that of transferring a name long borne by one insect (but which it has lost by 

 being found to be but a sex or variety) to another insect which has been erroneously 



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