6 
At the close of the paper Mr. Heasler proposed a hearty vote of thanks 
which was seconded by Mr. Bacot and carried unanimously. Messrs. 
Clark, Tntt, and Jennings took part in the discussion that followed. 
Dr. T. A. Chapman read a paper entitled “ A few days at Fusio 
(printed in the Transactions). 
March 6th, 1900. —Cilix glaucata.— Mr. Kaye exhibited an un¬ 
usually pale C. (jlaucata with types for comparison. 
Preserved larvae.— Mr. Pickett, a large number of preserved 
larvte, including Stauropus j'agi, Jocheaera alni and Centra fare ala. A 
freshly emerged specimen of Amorplia populi, that had been forced, 
was also shown. 
Syntomis phegea.— Mr. Bacot, Syntomis pheyea with larvte. In refer¬ 
ring to the specimens, Mr. Bacot spoke of them as Artiadae. Mr. Kaye 
said he thought that Sir George Hampson was correct in placing 
Syntomis and allied genera in a separate family, Syntomidae. The vein 
8 of the hindwing being always absent, and the colouring also being 
generally of quite exceptional brilliancy, whilst in a large number of 
cases portions of the wing were transparent. Mr. Bacot remarked that 
ovum and larva were quite Arctiid. The President submitted that 
again it was a matter of opinion whether Syntomidae could be proved 
sufficiently distinct from Arctiadae for family separation. 
Discussion on larvae.— Mr. Prout, from the chair, made some 
remarks on the theory of a fixed hybernating stage. He alluded to 
Acidalia rusticata as a case contrary to the theory, that species he himself 
knowing to go into hybernation at the last moult and also in the last 
but one. Mr. Bacot made a strong point of the different stages in the 
existence of larvae at which they become specialised. In some groups 
the larva is generalised in the first instar and becomes specialised later, 
such for instance as those of some of the butterflies, while the Lachneidae 
(La.-uocampidae) such as Cosmotriche potatoria and Kutricha quercifolia 
were specialised from the egg. The Sphingidae were also well known 
to be highly specialised from the egg. Mr. Bacot further touched on the 
subject of in-breeding in captivity, he thought that probably mortality 
was due to some extent, not so much to in-breeding as to insuffi¬ 
cient attention. Mr. Prout said that before leaving the question 
of the highly specialised Sphingid larva, he would like to say that in 
a paper by Piepers the conclusion was reached that the horn present on 
the 12th segment was once of use to the larva, but is now gradually 
becoming atrophied. Mr. Tutt who made many useful suggestions 
said that, with regard to hybernation in a particular instar, 
those species that have a large geographical area might (and 
probably often did) have different stages in which they were 
able to hybernate. Lasiocampa qitercus was known to hybernate in a 
different instar in the south of England from that in the bleak moorlands 
where the imago presents a slightly different facies and is known as 
calltmac. There was no doubt there was often a reaction on the part of 
larvai to their environment. Those larvte that have to exist under 
various conditions would he quickly exterminated if they could not 
respond to those varying conditions. Mr. Kaye thought Mr. Tutt’s 
remarks were well illustrated by an analogous case in the culture of 
certain plants. Those that have a wide geographical range (particu- 
