i892.] 



THE BRITISH NATURALIST. 



97 



of Lepidoptera, representative of a collection of some 5000 specimens recently made 

 vn five weeks by Mr. W. Doherty, in the South-west of Celebes. The collection 

 included species of Nectaria, Ideopsis, Saletaria, Lhnnias, Radena, Tirumala, Eiiplaa, 

 Lethe, Melanitis, Mycalesis, Yphthima, Elymnias, Amathusia, Pseudamathusia, Discophora, 

 Acraa, Ergolis, Cethosia, Cynthia, Cupha, Terinos, Cirrhochroa, Junonia, Precis, 

 Rhinopalpa, Xoma, Cyrcstes, Hypolimnas, Euripus, Rohana, Parthenos, Neptis, Athyma, 

 Syniphadra, Eiithalia, Limenitis, Abisara, Huphina, Catopsilia, Eronia, Appias, 

 Ornithoptera, Papilio, &c., and several species of Hesperida. Many of the species were 

 new, and others very rare. Mr. Elwes, Colonel Swinhoe and Mr. S. Stevens com- 

 mented on the interesting nature of this collection, and a vote of thanks to Mr. 

 Rothschild for exhibiting it was passed by the meeting. Mr. E. B. Poulton gave a 

 lecture •' On the denudation of the Scales in certain species of Lepidoptera," and 

 illustrated it by a large number of photographs shown by means of the oxyhydrogen 

 lantern. Mr. G. F. Hampson, Mr. Elwes, and Mr. Poulton took part in the 

 discussion which ensued.— H. Goss, Hon. Secretary . 



THE SOUTH LONDON ENTOMOLOGICAL AND NATURAL 



HISTORY SOCIETY. 



March 24th, 1893.— C. G. Barrett, Esq., F.E.S., President in the chair. Mr. J. R. 

 Burt, of Streatham was elected a member. Mr. T. Merrifield exhibited examples of 

 Selenia illttstraria, S. illunaria, S. lunaria, Vanessa urtica, Platyptervx falcataria, 

 Chelonia caja, and Bombyx quercus and var. calliincB to illustrate the effects of 

 temperature on these species. Mr. Merrifield prefaced his remarks on the 

 experiments he had made by referring to those of Weisman and Edwards 

 which were made on seasonally dimorphic species, he said the results 

 obtained by him were consistent with those of these gentlemen but he went 

 further than they did and he found by subjecting the pupa to certain temperatures 

 he invariably, in the majority of the specimens, obtained certain results, a lower 

 temperature generally producing examples which were darker and more intense in 

 colour than those subjected to higher temperatures. In illustraria a brood divided 

 into two portions and one placed at a temperature of about 80 degrees produced 

 normal specimens while the other portion placed at a temperature of from 50 to 60 

 degrees were stril^ingly darker in colour ; the same results were obtained with 

 illunaria and lunaria and E. autumnaria, but in these last named species they were not 

 quite so pronounced. P. falcataria, B . quercus its var. callunce, C. caia and V. urtica 

 were similarly affected but in a lesser degree than the species of Selenia ; in V. 

 tirticce some of the examples closely approached the var. polaris, the specimens 

 subject to the lower temperatures being generally darker and the blue crescents 

 more intense in colour. In conclusion Mr. Merrifield said a temperature of 47 

 degrees seemed to stunt the size and produced a large proportion of cripples, higher 

 temperatures than this seemed more conducive to health and vigour; it had been 

 suggested that the results he had obtained were attributable to the unhealthy 

 conditions to which the pupae were exposed but this was not at all a correct 

 explanation, in the 172 specimens he exhibited 150 were not cripples, extreme 

 temperatures produced crippling, but moderate temperatures were quite sufficient to 

 account for the extreme difference of colouring. Mr. Fenn said he had since 1859 

 paid great attention to the earlier stages of Lepidoptera and he assumed variation 

 was either natural or artificial ; that natural variation might be again divided into 

 three nearly equal causes, viz.: Heredity, moisture and natural selection. In 

 artificial variation the causes might generally be said to be abnormal or diseased, 

 by the term disease he meant a general weakening of the constitution by unnatural 

 influences, the least deviation from natural conditions might lead to variation. Mr. 



