iSgi.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



169 



spiniger (under the same stone with which it may be found), even to the extent of 

 evolving a pedicle and spines in what, were it an ant, would be its metanotum. 

 Curiously enough, however, these spines are apparently not alike in any two specimens. 

 Is it that this bug is still waiting for one of its race to accidentally sport spines more 

 like those of P. spiniger, and thus to set the ball of evolutioe rolling afresh ? or is it 

 that the present rough copy of spiniger' s spines is found sufificient to deceive ? The 

 bug has also been found in the Nilgherries. Mr. Rothney remarks on the above 

 species : — ' I have not found the species mimicking Mutilla ; but in Calcutta and 

 Barrackpore. where P. spiniger is a tree ant, forming its net by spinning together the 

 twigs of a shrub, the mimicking bug also assumes arboreal habits, and may be found 

 on the trunks of trees with the ants.' " 



Mr. Porritt exhibited living specimens of Eiipithecia extensaria and Geomctra 

 smaragdaria , the position assumed by the former proved conclusively that it had 

 rightly been placed in the genus Eupithecia. 



Mr. Crowley exhibited two specimens of a Papilio from the Khasia hills, belonging 

 to an undescribed species allied to P. papone, sub-generic section Chilades. Col. 

 Swinhoe remarked that he possessed a specimen from Northern Burmah, Mr. Moore 

 and others took part in the discussion which followed. 



Mr. Dallas Beeching exhibited a specimen of Plusia nwneta, recently taken by him- 

 self at High Woods, Tonbridge, and specimsns of Gonepteryx cleopatra, lent him for 

 exhibition, which were alleged to have come from the same localitv. 



Dr. T. A. Chapman exhibited the larva of Micropteryz calthella, and read the 

 following notes : — The larvae were obtained bv placing moths in a cage with damp 

 moss, dead leaves, and other debris off the surface of the ground. Into this the moths 

 crept to a depth of half-an-inch, forcing their way into narrow cavities, and laid their 

 eggs in groups of six or twelve. The eggs are clothed with fine hairs, tipped with 

 refractive particles. The larva, about a millimetre in length, possesses on each seg- 

 ment eight processes of a globular form raised on a very slight pedicle. Besides the 

 thoracic legs, each of the abdominal segments (eight) possesses a pair of minute 

 jointed legs of the same type as the thoracic. There are also a pair of long jointed 

 legs of the same type as the thoracic. There are also a pair of long jointed 

 antennae." 



Col. Swinhoe read a paper " On new species of Heterocera from the Khasia Hills." 

 Mr. Cowley read a paper " On a new species of ProtJioe." 



Mr. C. J. Gahan read a paper " On the South x\merican species of Diabrotica," 

 Part II., being a continuation of Dr. Baly's paper on the same genus published in the 

 Society's Transactions for i8go, Part I. 



Mr. W. F. Kirby communicated a paper entitled " Notes on Siphonophora artocarpi," 

 referring to an appendage of the eyes which had been overlooked in his previous 

 description. — H. Goss & W. W. Fowler, Hon. Secretaries. 



CITY OF LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 



HISTORY SOCIETY. 



Thursday, iSth June, i8gi. — Exhibits: — Mr. Huckett, a box of insects from 

 Epping, the most noticable being Platyptcryx liamula, P. laccrtula, Nola cristulalis, 



