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The first meeting was held on November 24th, 1910, when a 

 paper on "Protective Colouration in Man" was read by J. Omer 

 Cooper, Esq., his argument being that protective colouring was much 

 more developed in savage and uncivilized races, who exist by the 

 chase, and who are hunters of necessity, than in those countries that 

 had been for centuries inhabited by civilized people who live by 

 agriculture and pastoral pursuits. Also the former, as a rule, 

 inhabit woods and forests, and wore few clothes, and hence a dark 

 skin better enabled them to approach their prey, and avoid their 

 enemies. In the case of animals this has long been known and 

 recognised, and he thought the same reasoning would apply also to 

 the human race. 



At the December meeting Dr. Dixon kindly gave a demon- 

 stration of Section-Cutting with the Cambridge Rocking Microtome 

 presented to him by the Bournemouth Natural Science Society. He 

 first explained the process of embedding the organisms in paraffin, 

 and then the working, of the various parts of the Microtome and the 

 method by which all sections cut were delivered in the exact order 

 in which they were cut. He then produced some marine organisms 

 which had been previously embedded in paraffin and proceeded to 

 cut sections. These, after being placed on glass slips and the 

 paraffin dissolved out, were handed round for examination and after 

 being much admired, were divided amongst the members present. 



At a Sectional meeting held in January 1911, an address on 

 " Snakes " was given by Mr. Rohu, who exhibited living and 

 preserved examples. 



In February there was no meeting, owing to the illness and 

 death of the late Dr. Thomas. 



On March 16th, at a Sectional meeting an address was given by 

 Mr. Joseph Neale, on " The Origin and Significance of certain Colours 

 and Markings on the larvae of the Puss Moth and others." 



Emphasis was laid on the advantages accruing from the study 

 of caterpillars in their natural surroundings, large drawings of some 

 of the more showy larvae easily obtained in the Bournemouth 

 district being shown. Mr. Neale drew attention to the heavy death- 

 rate implied by the large number of eggs laid by the parent moths, 

 and inferred the rising value of each successive stage in larval life, 

 viewed from the point of view of race survival. In accordance 

 with the greater value of the growing caterpillar, coincident with 

 the greater risk of detection with increasing size, it was noted that 

 a caterpillar showing a simple colour pattern when first hatched 

 developed at each moult markings resulting m a highly complicated 

 pattern in the last stage. Not only does a relation subsist between 

 the larval colour pattern and its environment, but these are related 

 to the position and resting attitude of the caterpillar, e.g., the 

 fantastic " Puss," easily found in summer on poplar, was noted in 

 its earlier stages as resting during the day in full view centrally on 

 top of a leaf, its colour pattern simulating successively : (1) a streak 

 of dead leaf tissue, black ; (2) the same, or a bud scale fallen from 

 above and resting on a leaf, black with touches of russet ; (3) an 

 irregular area of dead leaf tissue bordered with dying, and this with 



