Occurrence of the Death's Head Moth. 



353 



ever, has great capabilities of agricultural production, and 

 were its often-proposed railway communication extended 

 from West Canada through this region, and over the Rocky 

 Mountains to Oregon and California, it would then be effec- 

 tually brought within the pale of civilisation. The climate 

 is very healthy ; the locality is intersected by the latitude of 

 50° north, and is thus on a parallel with the south of England. 

 The summer is delightful ; in winter the frost is severe, 

 though less so than that of East Canada, but the atmosphere is 

 clear, still, and steady, so that out-of-door exercise is always 

 practicable and more pleasant than in the variable climate 

 of Great Britain. 



The Society is indebted for the interesting specimens 

 here exhibited to the kindness of Major George Seton, who 

 spent a year (1858) in the district, in the course of his 

 official military duties. On a former occasion, some years ago, 

 a large and interesting collection of Silurian fossils from 

 Canada were brought before the Society from the same 

 gentleman, who, in addition to his military duties, has so suc- 

 cessfully employed his leisure hours in the investigation of 

 the natural history of the countries he has visited. He 

 is a Scotsman, was educated in Edinburgh, and has carried 

 along with him through life those scientific acquirements 

 for which he was distinguished when a student in this city. 



A vote of thanks was given to Mr Ehind and Major Seton 

 for the communication, and exhibition of specimens. 



II. (1.) Note of the Occurrence of the Death's- Head Moth in Roxburgh- 

 shire, Perthshire, and Ross-shire. By John Alex. Smith, M.D. 



When residing in the neighbourhood of Melrose last 

 autumn, Dr Smith got a caterpillar of the Death's-head 

 Moth, the largest of the European Lepidopterous insects, 

 which he placed in a basin with earth, and a few leaves of 

 the potato, among the plants of which it had been found. 

 On the 18th of August it buried itself in the earth, forming 

 a large oval-shaped chamber, in which the caterpillar lay, 

 and shortly afterwards changed into the large pupa now 

 exhibited. It remained alive some time, but at last died. 



vol. in. 2 z 



