7860 



Entomological Society . 



Mr. Reading exhibited specimens of Leueania putrescens taken at Torquay by 

 Mr. King 1 , and some rare Lepidoptera from South Devon, including Diaseinia lite- 

 raiis, Heliothis peltigera, &c. 



Mr. Reading- also exhibited varieties of Pontia Napi, Colias Edusa (var. Helice), 

 and a singular variety of Aictia villica, having the anterior wings entirely dark brown, 

 the posterior pair being of the usual colour. 



Dr. Knaggs exhibited a case of remarkable form, from Australia, believed to be 

 that of a species of Psyche. 



Mr. Miller exhibited some living larva? of a species of Incurvaria found feeding 

 on fallen leaves. 



Mr. Adam White exhibited some insects, of various orders, collected by F. M. 

 Rayner, Esq., Surgeon of H. M.S. * Herald,' during its voyage of exploration in the 

 South Seas. He especially noticed some from Aneiteum, New Hebrides, such as that 

 interesting Longicorn, Psalidocoptus scaber". He showed other Longicorns from these 

 islands, and the Pyrrha Wollastoni, from Lord Howe's Island, close to the genus 

 Deucalion of Wollaston ; Elytruri ; Phasmidae, such as Eurycantha australis, with its 

 strange thickened hind femora and somewhat mole-cricket aspect, suggested ideas of 

 analogy, now, since W. Sharpe Macleay had ceased to write, unfortunately little heeded 

 by naturalists. Mr. White considered these ideas, if developed by their illustrious 

 author in a republication of his works with annotations, as likely to prevent the dan- 

 gerous theories of Lamarck and his pupil, Charles Darwin, from ever affecting, ex- 

 cept in a sanatory way, " our little systems," which " have their day and cease to be/' 

 He said a few words on his good friend Mr. Rayner's admirable collections of Crus- 

 tacea, and expressed a hope that the Government would grant a sufficient sum to 

 publish the valuable ' Natural History of the Voyage of H.M.S. Herald,' begun by 

 John M'Gillivray, and carried on so successfully by Messrs. Rayner aud Dr. Mac- 

 donald. 



Mr. White also exhibited a beautiful Bombyx, allied to the Bombyx Certhia, 

 Fabr., figured by Petiver. This new species was brought from India, by General Sir 

 John Hearsey, K.C.B., and for which he proposed the name of Brahmsea Hearseyi. 

 It is smaller than the Brahmaea Wallichii, Gray (Bombyx spectabilis, Hope), and has 

 three or four irregular undulating while lines in the apex of the fore wing, instead of 

 three longitudinal lines of angled white Vs : he pointed out the black band behind 

 this space being curved outwardly, instead of angled aud irregular as in B. Wallichii. 



Mr. White also exhibited a fine species of Phryganidoe, also brought from Northern 

 India by Sir John Hearsay, with yellowish brown upper wings richly and thickly 

 spotted and blotched with black ; the lower wings black, with purple tinge, and a 

 broad yellow band before the lip, widest on the fore part. He named it Holostomis 

 M'Lachlani, in compliment to a gentleman who had done, and would yet, if he lived, 

 do much to advance our knowledge of Trichoplera, and neuropterous insects iu 

 general. 



Mr. White also exhibited the male and female of a beautiful Lycaena from New 

 Zealand. It was allied to L. Sallustius, Fabr. (the L. Edna of Doubleday). The 

 male of this lovely Lycaena is suffused with purple-violet, and has a row of red spots 

 on both wings, and black marks and spots ; the under side is quiet brown and gray. 

 The female is larger, and has only a line of purple behind the tip of fore wings and 

 parallel with its margin, and a macular line of violet on lower wings. Mr. White 

 propuscd for it the name Lycana Boldenarum, after Helen and Frances Mary Bolden, 



