Zoological Sociely, 



6195 



and having no other object in view, I leave you to draw your own conclusions as to 

 whether the small August insect known in the northern cabinets as filigrammaria, 

 and the large October insect known as auturanaria of Duubleday's List, are one and 

 the same species ; I say not."* 



After which a few remarks were made upon the question, the Meeting being of 

 opinion that O. autumnaria of Doubleday's Catalogue and O. filigrammaria are two 

 distinct species ; it was observed that O. autumnaria might be a variety of O, dilutaria, 

 but could not be admitted as a variety of filigrammaria. On the distinctions between 

 O. autumnaria and O. dilutaria being pointed out, the Meeting proceeded to render 

 the thanks due to the various friends and members, who, by their kindness, had con- 

 tributed to the pleasure and instruction of the members and friends present, particu- 

 larly 10 Mr. Battersby, for his liberal offer to give specimens of luctuosa to those who 

 were still in want of them. — C. S. G, 



Zoological Society. 

 Tuesday^ July 13, 1858. — Dk. Gray, V.P., in the chair. 



Mr. Gould read a paper on a new species of ptarmigan, the skin of which he 

 exhibited to the Meeting. It was a native of Spitzbergen, where he believed it was 

 plentiful, and was brought to this country by Edward Evans, Esq., of Neath, who shot 

 it during a visit to that part of the world in the summer of 1856. In size it consi- 

 siderably exceeded our common ptarmigan. Mr. Gould proposed the name of 

 Lagopus hemileucurus for this species. 



Mr. Gould also read a paper containing descriptions of two new species of the 

 family Hirundinida? ; one, an Alticora, from Guatemala, for the introduction of which 

 Science was indebted to George Ure Skinner, Esq., he characterized under the name 

 of Atticora pileata ; the other, a Chelidon, from Cashmere, which he proposed to call 

 Chelidon Cashmeriensis, was discovered by Dr. A. Leith Adams, of the 22nd regt. 



Mr. Sclater exhibited a specimen of an apparently undescribed species of Buteo 

 from the collection of the Norwich Museum, which he proposed to characterize as 

 Buteo fuliginosus. 



Mr. Sclater also called the attention of the Society to some birds collected by 

 George Cavendish Taylor, Esq., during his journey across the Re})ublic of Honduras, 



* 1 am alwa}S pleased to find a question of this kind investigated on the spot: it 

 is the only way in which such quesliones vexatce can be settled. I would uevertheiess 

 suggest to Mr. Gregson certain queries which slill remiiin open. What is the 

 difference between the larvae of the three species ? Calling them A, B and C, may I 

 ask this question, — When the eggs of A are reared to the imago state, do the mo-lhs 

 always prove identical with A ? The same of B ? The same of C ? Has it been 

 positively ascertained that the food plants of A, B and C are different? Mr. Gregson 

 hints this, but has not established it. Is it certain that neither A, B nor C is a 

 second brood of either of the others? May not autumnaria be a second brood of 

 filigrammaria; filigrammaria is wasted on the 12th August, autumnaria in peifecliou 

 in October. Mr. Gregson has the opportunity of solving these questions : it would 

 be a boon to Science if he would do so, and would supersede the necessity for 

 expressing mere opiuious. — Edward Newman. 



