THE YOUNG NATUEALIST. 



227 



Africa. They were apparently of the same nature as those from the West 

 Indies, described in 1833 by the Eev. L. Guilding as Margarodes formicarius, 

 which was usually referred to the Coccida, as allied to Porphyrophora. They 

 were of various shades from yellowish pearly to golden and copper colour, 

 and were strung together by the natives like beads, and used by them as 

 necklaces and other personal ornaments, as, according to Mr. Guilding, was 

 the case with the West Indian species. 



Mr. W. F. Kirby exhibited, on behalf of Mr. John Thorpe, of Middleton, 

 a long series of buff and melanic varieties of Ampkidasis beiularia, and read 

 notes on them communicated by Mr. Thorpe. Mr. Kirby also exhibited on 

 behalf of Mr. Nunney, who was present as a visitor, a dark variety of Argyn- 

 nis aglaia from Caithness, and a tawny-coloured variety of Vanessa urtica 

 from Bournemouth. 



Mons. Alfred Wailly exhibited a fine series of Saturnias and other Bom- 

 byces, mostly bred by him, from South Africa ; also specimens of Dirphia 

 tarquinia, Attacus orizaha, Platysamia cecropia and P. ceanothi, Callosamia 

 angitlifera, C. promeihcea, Philosamia cynthia, and other species from Central 

 America. He also exhibited ova of Saturnia tyrrhea, pupse of this and 

 other South African species, and a cocoon of Bombyx ochadama from Mada- 

 gascar. Mons. Wailly stated that several of the large South African Satur- 

 nidce formed no cocoons, the larvse entering the earth to undergo the change* 

 to the pupal state. Mr. Trimen said he was able to confirm this statement. 



The Eev. W. W. Fowler exhibited a number of minute Acari, which had 

 been doing injury to fruit trees near Lincoln. 



Mr. Poulton gave an account of the experiments recently made by him 

 with the larvae of several species of the genus Vanessa, for the purpose of 

 ascertaining the relations of pupal colour to that of the surface on which the 

 larval skin was thrown off, which had formed the subject of a paper read by 

 him last month before the British Association. He also exhibited the frame 

 constructed by him for the purpose of these experiments. The President and 

 Messrs. Trimen, Waterhouse, White, Hall and others took part in the dis- 

 cussion which ensued. 



Mr. Slater exhibited a specimen of Prionus coriarius found in Devonshire 

 on fennel, and a specimen of Calandra palmarum found alive at Pembroke 

 Dock. 



Mr. Enock exhibited Mymar pulchettus, and a specimen of Atypus piceus 

 recently taken on Hampstead Heath. 



Mr. Elisha exhibited a series of Gelechia hippophaella (Sch.), bred from 

 iarvse collected at Deal on Hippophae rhamnoides. 



Mr. Billups exhibited Echthrus lancifer, Gr., a species of Ichneumonida new 



