June .19. 
GO UN Til Y GENTLEMAN’S COMPANION. 
193 
WEEKLY CALENDAR. 
D 
M 
D 
W 
Weather near London in 
1853. 
-- — 
Sun 
Sets. 
Moon’s 
Age. 
('1 
bf. 
JUNE 19—25, 1855. 
Barometer. 
Thermo. Wind. 
Bain in 
Inches. 
Rises. 
H, & S. 
Sum. 
Year. 
19 
To 
Elater rufipes. 
29.929—29.912 
66—39 S. 
44 a 3 
18a 8 
n 44 
6 
0 
52 
170 
20 
\v 
Queen Victoria Accession. 
29 . 908 — 29.876 
66-44 SAV. 
44 
18 
11 57 
6 
1 
5 
171 
21 
Tn 
Queen Victoria Broclaimed. 
30.030—30.008 
67—46 SAV. 
06 
44 
18 
morn. 
7 
1 
19 
1/2 
22 
F 
Sun’s declinat., 23° 28' N. 
30.077—30.067 
72—59 SAV. 
— 
45 
19 
0 10 
3 
1 
31 
173 
23 
S 
Daseillus cervinus. 
30.139—30.103 
77—52 S.W. 
— 
45 
19 
0 23 
9 
1 
44 
174 
21 
Sun 
3 Sunday akter Trinity. 
30.159—30.078 
77-52 SAV. 
— 
45 
19 
0 33 
10 
1 
57 
175 
25 
M 
[Mids. Day. Nat. .In. Bap. 
29-987—29.853 
81—61 S. 
01 
45 
19 
0 45 
n 
2 
10 
176 
Meteorology of the Week. -At Chiswick, from observations during the last twenty-eight 
vears, the average highest and 
lowest tem- 
peratures of these days are 72.3°, and 50.1°, respectively. The greatest heat, 1)3°, occur 
on the 23rd, in !S51. During the period 108 days were fine, and on 88 rain fell. 
red on the 23rd, 
in 1846; 
and the lowest cold, 35°, 
The question of the admission of Associates into the 
Entomological Society appears likely to raise con¬ 
siderable stir among the Members. Since the last 
Meeting, Mr. Stainton has circulated a printed letter 
headed—“ Are we to have Associates?” And we under¬ 
stand that a series of resolutions on the subject has 
been brought forward in the Council, to which it would, 
however, be contrary to the ordinary etiquette of so¬ 
cieties to allude in the present state of the question. 
The Juue Meeting was held on the 3rd inst., John 
Curtis, Esq., F.L.S., President, being in the chair. 
An extensive and very beautiful series of iusects> 
selected from a very large collection recently found in 
India, was presented by S. P. Pratt, Esq. The species 
were evidently from Assam or Sylhet, and included 
many of the rare or hitherto unique specimens lately 
described by Messrs. Doubleday and Westwood, in tbe 
“ Annals of Natural History,” “ The Genera of Diurnal 
Lepidoptera,” “ The Cabinet of Oriental Entomology,” 
&c. The collection was especially rich in nocturnal 
Lepidoptera, many being very beautiful and new. There 
were also a considerable number of Micro-Lepidoptera, 
and not fewer than live species of Pterophorus (Plume 
Moths). 
A certificate was read in favour of Professor Pictet , 
of Geneva, the distinguished author of various ela¬ 
borate monographs on the Epliemeridoe, Phryganidie, 
and Perlidse, as one of the ten foreign honorary members 
proposed by the Council, in lieu of the late M. Dc Ilaan, 
of Leyden. 
Her Dohrn, the President of the Entomological 
Society of Stettin, was also elected a member of the 
Society, and General Hearse)/, and several other gen¬ 
tlemen, recently elected, were formally admitted as 
members by tbe President. 
Mr. Foxcroft sent for exhibition various interesting 
Coleoptera and Lepidoptera, collected in his excursion 
during the present spring, at Loch Raunoch, in Perth¬ 
shire. Among the Beetles was the very rare Dcordro- 
phagits crenatus (one of the Cucujidoe) ; and among tbe 
Moths was the Anarta Oordigera, with specimens of its 
cocoon and chrysalis. 
Mr. Samuel Stevens exhibited a specimen of the 
magnificent new Butterfly recently discovered by Mr. 
Wallace, in Borneo, and named in honour of the Rajah 
Brooke. It is of very large size, its wings of intense 
velvety black colour, with a row of large silky green 
spots, and a blood-red collar. 
A note by Mr. D. Urban was road, relative to tbe 
cocoons of Saturniu Ceeropia, a gigantic Moth, common 
in Canada, and which from their large size are very 
conspicuous, being found on twigs of various plants, 
especially tbe Maple and Choke Cherry, where, during 
tbe winter, they are easily observed when the trees have 
lost their leaves, and at which time it would be easy to 
collect them in vast quantities. The cocoon consists of 
a double case, the outer being very rough, and it was 
suggested that Ibis species might be adopted and grown 
as a Silk Moth with great facility. 
Mi - . Curtis presented, on behalf of Mr. Spence, various 
interesting insects collected in Ceylon, by H. K. 
Tlivvaites, Esq., tbe curator of the Botanic Garden at 
Colombo, amongst which were specimens of a Beetle 
allied to Polistychus , which had been found with their 
larvae in the nests of a small black species of Ant. 
Mr. Curtis also exhibited specimens of the remark¬ 
able blind Beetle, Langclandia Anophthalma, collected 
in Paris by M. De la Zouzee. 
A memoir of Mr. Newman was read, upon tbe ribs 
in the wings of insects, which have been regarded by 
various writers as nerves, tracheae, ribs, or veins, but 
which Mr. Newman considered to be merely organs of 
support similar to those of the wings of Bats, or of the. 
Flying Dragon. Mr. Newman’s views were opposed by 
Messrs. Curtis, Westwood, and Waterhouse. 
Ferns have long been popular plants—nor is their 
popularity confined to one class of society—and for 
this reason—whilst all Ferns are beautiful, some of them 
are so cheap as to be within the purchasing power of 
all, and others are so scarce and costly as to be worthy 
companions of all that is rich and rare among the gems i 
of the Stove and Conservatory. 
The popularity of Ferns, however, does not rest only 
upon their beauty and their price, for they have, as an | 
additional cause for their ready access to the good 
graces of the cultivator, that there is scarcely any place ; 
in which Ferns of some genera refuse to grow. Most 
of them thrive best in the shade; others prefer, the 
brightest light; a third group will live only on dry walls 
arid chalky rocks ; a fourth succeed nowhere, except in 
abundant moisture; a fifth revel in the freest air of the 
mountain top ; and a sixth flourish verdantly for months, 
and even years, within the close confinement of a 
Wardian case. 
No. CCCLI. Vol XIV. 
