10 
much as he can do to hold his own against their attacks. He thought 
that if the restriction on their size were removed while their rate of 
multiplication remained, man would be relegated to a secondary place. 
But as things are, man’s size, upright posture, and development of 
the hands, with intellect, constitute him at present the dominant 
species on earth. Insects have had an actual influence on man s 
development, both as regards his physical and mental abilities. Few, 
if any land animals can lay claim to so ancient a lineage or compete 
for priority with the Insecta. They have been traced back to the 
Devonian strata, which perhaps presupposes the existence of primitive 
forms at a very much earlier time. Long previous to any serious 
rivalry or interference in their arboreal and aerial domains, insects 
must have exerted a vast influence on, and consequently produced 
sweeping changes, in plant life. Plants acquiring antiseptic properties, 
gummy and resinous saps, nauseous features, poisonous, purgative, 
emetic" and narcotic qualities in their passive resistance to insect 
attack. By the agency of insects, flowers with their tints, scents and 
nectar, were evolved. From the earliest known mammals—the 
insectivorous marsupials — have sprung the bats, the only mammals 
perfectly equipped for flight. 'Che Carnivores and Primates have 
without doubt risen through the insectivorous lemuroids from the same 
source ; and it is to the habits and needs of these insectivorous 
ancestors of his, that man owes the development of the hand with its 
opposable thumb. Man in truth, has had not only his senses and 
aesthetic tastes largely developed in accordance with standards which 
were raised by insects before his advent, but his structure also clearly 
shows traces of the habits and needs of his insectivorous progenitors. 
A discussion followed, in which Messrs. Dadd. Cox and Dr. Sequeira 
took part. 
April 18th, 1899.—Mr. L. B. Hall, of 7, Union Road, Tufnell Park, 
N., and Mr. ,J. C. Moberly, of 9, Rockstone Place. Southampton, were 
elected members. 
Tuddenham Lepidopteka.— Mr. J. A. Clark exhibited specimens 
from Tuddenham of Spilodis verticals ( ei-nctalh) that were strongly 
marked. Also two aberrations of Arctia rillica bred from larva? taken 
at Harwich, each having a very large cream-coloured area at the apex 
of the upper wings. 
Euchloe ? hybrid.— Dr. Chapman, a specimen of Euchloe caught 
at Cannes, which he supposed to be a hybrid between Eurltloe card amines 
and cuphcnoides. 
Pimelia bipunctata. — Mr. Jennings showed a Tenebrionid beetle, 
Himelia bipunctata, collected by Dr. Chapman on the coast sandhills at 
Alassio, Gulf of Genoa, in March. He said the genus Vimelia 
contained a number of species of rather large size, but is not represented 
in Britain. Heliopath ox ;/ibbus of which a type was shown, was said to 
be probably the nearest ally with us. The specific name bipunctata at 
first puzzled him to see its appropriateness, but it was perhaps explained 
bv the fact that in one specimen the thorax had two rough punctures, 
lii all the others, however, the thorax appeared to bo nearly, if not 
quite, smooth. 
Agartcus campestris. — Mr. Riches, an abnormal specimen of the 
common mushroom, Ayaricux campestris , in which the stalk was 
