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 Kocky 
Mountains to Oregon and California, it would then he 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 G-reat 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 Khind 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, 
^hich 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. III. 2 z 
