9 
Early appearance of Panolts piniperda. —Mr. Bacot, a specimen 
of P. piniperda, taken on the 19th instant, being a very early appear¬ 
ance, at Oxshott. It was of an unusual silvery-grey colour. 
Publication Committee. —The President chose the following 
members to form the Publishing Committee for 1H99 : Messrs. -T. A. 
Clark, .J. W. Tutt, C. Nicholson, H. Donisthorpe, and H. A. Sauze. 
Paper. —Mr. Prout then read a paper on “ Tlie Life-history of 
Oporabia ( Kpirrita ) antumnata (Bkh.)” (printed in Transactions). 
Mr. Tutt proposed, and Mr. Porritt seconded, the vote of thanks at 
the close. 
April 4th, 1899.— Stiltcus fragilis. —Mr. Donisthorpe exhibited 
a series of the Staphylinid beetle St Mens frayilis, taken the previous 
day from faggot-stacks at Shirley. He had taken this beetle at the 
same place for several years, and found that a larva which he believed 
to be that of this Staphylinid, was generally shaken out on the same 
occasions, and he had one preserved in spirit, which was remarkable 
for the length of the styles at the apex of the abdomen. 
Tineids. — Mr. J. A. Clark, a cabinet drawer of Tincina, including 
the Psychids, of which he had a very full series, with examples of the 
larval cases in most instances. 
Sallowing at Ripley and elsewhere. —Mr. Bacot said he had 
visited Ripley for working the sallows, but had taken nothing beyond 
ten Panolis jdniperda , the sallows not being properly out. At Selborne, 
however, they were more forward, but still insects were few, and the 
only insects taken were Tueniocampa yothica, T. stabilis, and Pachnobia 
lencoyrapha, with worn < 'crastis rare inti. Mr. Dadd, in giving his 
experience at the sallows, remarked that he had taken twelve T. 
stabiiis and two T. tjothica at Broxbourne, and had found nothing to 
speak of at Oxshott, with the exception of Anarta myrtilli on heath. 
Mr. Clark, at Epping Forest, had already seen many Brephos par- 
thenias , but had only secured live, the insect being very partial to the 
tree-tops. He had captured two l.arcntia miiltistrijaria, and saw 
plenty of J>inrnea fayclla and Tortricoides hyemana. 
Paper. —Mr. Bacot read a paper entitled “ Notes on the Relation¬ 
ship of Insects to Man.” He said, insects have been in the past of 
vast importance in the history of life, both of the vegetable and 
animal kingdoms. Such is the vitality, persistence, and adaptability of 
the class, aided by the rapid rate at which the species breed, that it has 
occupied, in one form or another, almost every portion of the globe. 
The beauty and grace of form of some, and, again, the mechanical per¬ 
fection of structure in others are unsurpassed throughout the animal 
world. In intellectual development and social organisation, too. certain 
species of Ortlioptera and Hymenoptera far outclass many of the 
Vertebrata. Speaking of intelligence, he instanced the fact of Annno- 
phila urnaria having been known to use a small pebble held in its 
mandibles to flatten down the earth over the nest in which its eggs 
were laid, in order to more conceal the situation, and showed this using 
of a tool placed the insect in some respects as high as the gorilla or fox. 
While man dominated the terrible Carnivora and took toll of Cetacea 
and Ruminantia, even to the point of nearly exterminating forms that 
once occurred in hordes, insects, even in temperate climes, but 
especially in tropical countries, were irrepressible, and it is often as 
