!>t 
THE ENTOMOLOGIST’S WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER. 
Oxfordshire. In the same spot I also took 
7 . Alveolus, T. Tages , P. Sylcanus, P. 
Ageslis and A 7 . Lucina . — R. H. Stretch, 
Banbury ; June 13. 
Nothris Verbascella . — I have found 
about a score of larv© and pupae of this 
insect, and believe I can find many more. 
I think Mr. Wing was not quite correct 
in stating that the larva turns to pupa in 
a tu rued -down corner of a leaf: generally 
it forms a silken cocoon between two of 
the ribs on the back of the leaf. — W. II. 
Tie LETT, Norwich; June 14. 
Duplicate Lepidoptera . — Having a few 
duplicate specimens of L. Sinapis, N. 
Lucina and P. Argiolus, I shall be glad 
to hear from any of my friends whom I 
disappointed last year, and who are still 
in want of these iusects. — A. Mason, 
Grange , Newton-in-Cartmel ; June 14. 
SOCIETIES. 
Entomological Society or London. 
June 7, l8o8.— J. 0. Westwood, Esq., 
V.-P., in the chair. 
George Penning, Esq., was proposed 
as a candidate for election. 
Mr. S. Stevens exhibited a fine series 
of Dinarda Maerchelii, taken in the Put- 
tenhani ants’ nest, since the Guildford 
excursion. Mr. Janson suggested that 
these specimens (twenty-eight in number) 
were probably for distribution among the 
members. Mr. Stevens said he was 
hardly prepared to go as far as that; but 
if any gentleman who was working at 
ants’-nest beetles did not possess Dinarda 
Maerchelii , he should be very happy to 
present him with the species. (Hear, 
hear, and applause). 
Mr. Smith called the attention of the 
Meeting to some interesting specimens 
of Myrmiea, collected amongst Formica 
fuliginosa by Mr. Janson, and F. rufa by 
Mr. Stevens. 
Mr. Stainton exhibited the new Ce- 
miostoma bred by Mr. Wilkinson from 
Lotus, and read the following remarks on 
the persistence of species : — 
On the persistence of Species. 
“ Some strangely heretical notions were 
broached at the last Meeting, — at least 
they were such notions as must appear 
heretical to all who have closely studied 
species. 
“It was suggested that those indi- 
viduals of a genus which all who have 
most carefully investigated the subject 
agiee in considering species, were not in 
reality species, but merely varieties, or 
rather races caused by some modification 
of habit. The statement that different 
species will, in the larva state, feed on 
different plants, was used in an inverted 
manner to imply that eggs of one species 
laid on four or five different plants will 
produce apparently as many different 
species. 
“ I do not wish in the slightest degree 
to overstate the new theory, but I cannot 
see that it differs in degree from what I 
have just mentioned. Species somewhat 
similar feeding on closely allied plants 
were suggested as probable variations 
caused by the difference of food ; but if a 
slight difference of food causes a slight 
apparent difference of species, a greater 
difference of food would of course pro- 
duce a greater apparent difference of 
species, and thus each genus might be 
assumed to consist of only a single spe- 
cies, varying according to its food and 
other circumstances. 
“Hence species are not; they were 
merely phantoms of the brain of the 
naturalist. 
“ The difference between the two spe- 
cimens ol Cemiostoma I here exhibit is 
not a specific difference ; Scitella , driven 
by stress of weather far from its usual 
food, laid eggs on Lotus, and thus pro- 
duced an apparent new species. It is of 
