286 



Mr. Smith exhibited a collection of honey-beea (Apis) from all parta of the 

 world, together with pieces of the comb of several species. Being engaged on the pre- 

 paration of a supplement to his monograph of the genus published a few years 

 since in the Annals and Magazine of Natural History, he solicited the assistance of 

 any gentleman who possessed specimens of exotic honey-bees. The species 

 exhibited were A. mellifica ; A. Ugustica in all sexes; A. fasciata in Sill sexes (con- 

 sidered by Gerstacker as only a form of Ugustica,^ but, in Mr. Smith's opinion, quite 

 distinct) ; A. indica, male and worker from Calcutta ; A. nigrocincta (according to 

 Gerstacker, only a var. of indica) ; A.floraliSy the smallest species (worker=Zobafa 

 of Smith) ; A. dorsaliSf the largest species {testacea. Smith var.) ; all forms of a 

 species from the Cape, which might possibly be only Ugustica j and a queen from 

 Japan, sent by Mr. Lewis, which was probably only mellifica. 



Mr. Druce exhibited a collection of butterflies from the Chontales mines, 

 Nicaragua, formed by Mr. Belt. The President made some remarks on this col- 

 lection, and also on the beetles collected by Mr. Belt at the same place ; the lattei* 

 were numerous and fine, which was to be accounted for by the wood-cutting 

 operations connected with the mines in the vicinity. 



Mr. E. T. Higgins communicated a description of a new genus and species of 

 Prionidce from the mouth of the Niger. He called it Ommatomenus sericatus. 



A vote, expressing the sympathy and condolence of the Society with the Rev. 

 T. A. Marshall, who had recently lost the whole of his collections and library through 

 the foundering of the vessel which was conveying them from Milford to Barnstaple,' 

 was unanimously passed. 



Is* March, 1869.— H. W. Bates, Esq., F.Z.S., President, in the Chair, 

 Charles Home, Esq., of Upper Norwood, was elected a Member. 



Mr. Bond exhibited examples of HeliotMs armigera, from the Isle of Wight, 

 Java, and Australia, this cosmopolitan species showing no appreciable local conditions. 



Mr, McLachlan exhibited three males of Dilar Hornei, (described by him in tho 

 March No. of this Magazine) from N.W. India. Mr. Home, in answer to a query 

 respecting its habits, said the insect occurred among grass on damp hill-sides. 



Mr. W. C. Boyd exhibited dwarf examples of Vanessa wrticB, Pygcera bucephalaj 

 &c., &c., bred during the hot season of 1868. 



Mr. Home exhibited a substitute for cork, useful in cases when the latter be 

 not procurable ; it was the inner bark of the Indian Pinus longifoliaj which se- 

 parated into large sheets, and was tolerably soft. 



Dr. Wallace exhibited a number of cocoons of Bomhyx Yama-Mai, together 

 with the moths ; he had bred between forty and fifty in 1 868. Also B. Pernyiy 

 from China, on which he hoped to be able to make experiments as to its possible 

 utility as a silk-producer. Further, he exhibited a specimen of Satumia pyretorum, 

 which he had reared from a parcel of cocoons given to him by Dr. Hooker as those 

 of the insect producing the silk-worm gut in China. 



Mr. Weir exhibited a number of larvae of Tipulce from Blackheath, where many 

 acres of ground were so greatly infested that there appeared to be more grubs than 

 earth, and the birds in the neighbourhood did not diminish their numbers. Mr. 

 Bond said he had once seen four hundred of these larvaa taken from the crop of a 

 pheasant. 



Professor Westwood mentioned that he had seen, last month, a luminous larva 

 of the glow-worm, this being remarkably early. 



Mr. C. 0. Waterhouse read a paper " On a new genus and some species of 

 Lucanidce.** 



Mr. Weir read a paper " On insects and insectivorous birds, particularly in the 

 relation between colour and edibility of Lepidopterous larvae." 



Mr. Butler read a paper " On some Caterpillars, &c., which are unpalatable to 

 Lizards, Frogs, and Spiders." 



These two papers went to prove that the larva of Abraxas grossulariata (among 

 others) was extremely distasteful botli to birds and reptiles. A long discussion 

 ensued, in which the President, and Messrs. A. R. Wallace, Home, McLachlan, &c., 

 and Dr. Wallace, took part. 



