286 --^P'"' 
Mr. Smith exhibited a collection of honey-bees (Apis) from all parts of the 
world, together with pieces of the comb of several species. Being engaged on the pre- 
paration of a supplement to his monograph of the genus published a few years 
since in the Annals and Magazine of Natural Histoiy, he solicited the assistance of 
any gentleman who possessed specimens of exotic honey-bees. The species 
exhibited were A. melUfica, ; A. ligustica in all sexes ; A. fasciata in all sexes (con- 
sidered by Gerstiicker as only a form of ligustica, but, in Mr. Smith's opinion, quite 
distinct) ; A. indica, male and worker from Calcutta ; A. nigrocincta (according to 
Gerstiicker, only a var. of indica) ; A. floralis, the smallest species (workers Zotctict 
of Smith) ; A. dorxalis, the largest species (testacea, Smith var.) ; all forms of a 
species from the Cape, which might possibly be only ligustica ; and a queen from 
Japan, sent by Mr. Lewis, which was probably only mellifica. 
Mr. Druce exhibited a collection of butterflies from the Chontales mines, 
Nicaragua, formed by Mr. Belt. The President made some remarks on this col- 
lection, and also on the beetles collected by Mr. Belt at the same place ; the latter 
were numerous and fine, which was to be accounted for by the wood-cutting 
operations connected with the mines in the vicinity. 
Mr. E. T. Higgins communicated a description of a new genus and species of 
Prionidce from the mouth of the Niger. He called it Ommatomenus sericatus. 
A vote, exjiressiug the sympathy and condolence of the Society with the Rev. 
T. A. Marshall, who had recently lost the whole of his collections and library through 
the foundering of the vessel which was conveying them from Milford to Barnstaple, 
was unanimously passed. 
1st March, 1869.— H. W. Bates, Esq., F.Z.S., President, in the Chair, 
Charles Home, Esq., of Upper Norwood, was elected a Member. 
Mr. Bond exhibited examples of Ueliothis armigera, from the Isle of Wight, 
Java, and Australia, this cosmopolitan species showing no appreciable local conditions. 
Mr. McLachlan exhibited three males of Dilar Hornei, (described by him in the 
March No. of this Magazine) from N.W. India. Mr. Home, in answer to a queiy 
respecting its habits, said the insect occm-red among grass on damp hill-sides. 
Mr. W. C. Boyd exhibited dwarf examples of Vanessa urticjs, Pygcera hucephala, 
&c., &c., bred during the hot season of 1868. 
Mr. Home exhibited a substitute for cork, useful in cases when the latter be 
not procurable ; it was the inner bark of the Indian Pinus longifolia, which se- 
parated into large sheets, and was tolerably soft. 
Dr. Wallace exhibited a number of cocoons of Bomlyx Yama-Mai, together 
with the moths ; he had bred between forty and fifty in 1868. Also B. Pernyi, 
from China, on which he hoped to be able to make experiments as to its possible 
utility as a silk-producer. Further, he exhibited a specimen of Satumia pyretorum, 
which he had reared from a parcel of cocoons given to him by Dr. Hooker as those 
of the insect producing the silk-worm gut in China. 
Mr. Weir exhibited a number of larvaj of TipulcB from Blackheath, where many 
acres of ground were so greatly infested that there appeared to be more grubs than 
earth, and the birds in the neighbourhood did not diminish their numbers. Mr. 
Bond said he had once seen four hundred of these larv» taken from the crop of a 
pheasant. 
Professor Westwood mentioned that he had seen, last month, a luminous larva 
of the glow-worm, this being remarkably eai'ly. 
Mr. C. 0. Waterhouse read a paper " On a new genus and some species of 
Lucanidm." 
Mr. Weir read a paper " On insects and insectivorous birds, particularly in the 
relation between colour and edibility of Lepidopterous larvae." 
Mr. Butler read a paper " On some Caterpillars, &c., which are unpalatable to 
Lizards, Frogs, and Spiders." 
These two papei's went to prove that the larva of Abraxas grossulariata (among 
others) was extremely distasteful both to birds and reptiles. A long discussion 
ensued, in which the Pi-esident, and Messrs. A. R. Wallace, Horne, McLachlan, &c., 
and Dr. Wallace, took part. 
