26 
to the mode of life and government in an ants’ nest was thought to be 
a commune. All the inhabitants of a nest work harmoniously for the 
general good, the queens (though waited on) and the males (though 
cared for) seem to have no voice in the good government of the nest, 
which is, as far as is known, an instinctive attitude of all, only possible 
in a community where in the case of the bulk of the race sexlessness 
prevents jealousies, and weakness begets interdependence. Mr. 
Tremayne asked whether no instances were presented of ants per¬ 
forming their marvellous operations under distinct leaders. He 
thought such instances might easily be overlooked. With regard to 
the place which Mr. Sauze assigned to ants among Invertebrates, 
Mr. Tremayne suggested that possible rivals to them might be found 
in Termites, which were less known, but appeared to possess many of 
the socialistic abilities of the ants, and to be very similar to them in 
many of their habits. Mr. Dadd had known an ant carry away a full- 
grown larva of Miselia oxyacanthae. A vote of thanks to Mr. Sauze 
was carried unanimously, and, in reply, Mr. Sauze said that ants on 
the march certainly had officers at their sides. He thought that, 
according to our present knowledge, ants were possessed of more 
intelligence and ideas than Termites. 
May 4th, 1897.— Lepidoptera from Digne. —Mr. Tutt exhibited 
a box of insects of various orders, collected during March by Dr. 
T. A. Chapman. These, he said, were interesting, and the presence of 
freshly emerged specimens of Colics cdusa and C. lnjale supported the 
now practically proved view that they hybernated as larvfe, and pupated 
and emerged in early spring. Among other species captured were 
Spilothyrus alceae, Thais polyxena, T. medesicaste, Pieris daplidice, 
Anthochans belia, Eucldo'e cardamines, E. euphenoides (very fine ex¬ 
amples of both sexes), Leiicophasia sinapis, Gonepteryx rhamni, G. 
cleopatra, Nomiades melanops, Polyovimatus baton , Polygonia eyea, 
Melitaea cinxia, Brenthis die, Pararge egeria (the southern fulvous 
form), P. megaera, and a magnificent series of Erebia epistygne, from 
Grasse. Among insects of other orders were many Hemiptera, Hymen- 
optera, Coleoptera, etc. Also several specimens of Ascalaphus coccajus, 
W. V. Larv.® and pup.® of Charaxes jasius. —Mr. Tutt (for Mr. 
Stanley Edwards) exhibited a number of larva? of Charaxes jasius 
on the food-plant (Arbutus), which had been captured by Dr. Chap¬ 
man at Cannes. He drew attention to the hood of the larva, and 
to the remarkable structure of the pupa. Porthesia chrysorrhcea 
on oak. — Mr. Tutt also exhibited larvae of Porthesia chrysurrhoea, two 
nests of which Mr. Edwards had cut from oak in the neighbourhood 
of Digne. Tephrosia crepuscularia and T. bistortata. — Air. P>acot 
exhibited three broods of T. crepuscularia (biundularia) : Nos. 1 and 2 
bred from ova of the York form, and No. 8 from ova of the ah. 
delamerensis, the eggs of all three broods being sent him by Mr. 
Ilewett. Three broods of T. bistortata (crepuscularia) : No. 1 from ova 
sent him by Mr. Ilewett, who had received them from Major 
Robertson, No. 2 from ova which Mr. Ilewett had received from Mr. 
Mason, No. 3 reared from eggs laid by moths of brood 2, that emerged 
last June. Larva of Anchocelis pistacina. — Mr. May : a larva of 
Anchocelis pistacina, one of a brood bred from ova laid by a J taken 
on Tooting Bee Common, September, 1896. Exotic Coleoptera. — 
