13 
bottles, and died without changing.” Dr. Buckell, who was so kind as 
to give me this extract, tells me that the figures are very good, except 
that the colour is rather bright. They are represented feeding on 
hazel. The Trench calls this species “ L’ ecureuil ” (the squirrel) and 
“ Bombyx du Hetre.” 
Descriptions, etc.— The Linnasan description of the species (Syst. 
Naturce, Ed. xii., p. 816) is as follows :—“ Phalena Bombyx fagi , Xo. 30. 
P. Bombyx elinguis, alis reversis rufo cinereis; fasciis duabus hnearibus 
luteis flexuosis ” (Wings reversed, of a reddish ash colour, with two 
linear bent yellowish fasciae). This is our ordinary form of the species. 
There is, however, a good deal of colour variation in this form. Some 
specimens I have seen are pale grey and have the outer margin much 
whiter than others, while some may be said to be almost inter¬ 
mediate between the type and the black variety. Some specimens 
too, show a tendency to a dark band across the front wings. 
Variation: —Var. /3. Markings as in type, but wings of a deep brownish 
black. I have been unable to find any description of this very distinct 
form. Staudinger in his Catalog enumerates no varieties. It was, I 
believe, discovered by the Rev. Bernard Smith at Marlow, but I do not 
know whether he gave it a varietal name. A strange aberration—a 
male with female antennae—was exhibited by Mr. Adkin on behalf of 
Mrs. Hutchinson at the Sth. London Ent. Society’s Meeting on 
December 16th, 1886 (Ent., xx., 22). Affinities :—Linmeus seems to 
have been rather in doubt as to the position of fagi, for in the Fauna 
Suecicce (1761) he says: (Xo. 1113) “ Antenme visas sunt noctuas in 
speciminibus lectis, forte feminis, tamen ob habitum earn inter Bom- 
byces retuli done certiora innotescant de insecto, nisi fugitivis oculis a 
me non viso ” (The antennas seem those of a XocTum in the specimens 
taken, especially in the females ; nevertheless, on account of its general 
conformation I have set it down among the Bombyces, until more shall 
certainly be known about the insect, as I have only seen and examined 
it casually). The genus Stauropus was created by E. E. Germar in 1811 
or 1812. His description of the genus (Systematis Glossatorum Pro- 
dromus. Sistens Bombycum species secundum oris partium, diversitatem in 
nova genera distributas ) is as follows :—“ Palpi duo, reflexi, compressi 
hirsuti, biarticulati, articulo ultimo minuto. Lingua nulla. Antennas 
filiformes (maris pectinatas, apice nudge)” and S. fagi was, of course, the 
type of the genus. Germar arranged the following genera thus:— 
Notodonta (Ochs.), Pterostoma, Centra (Schrank, Latr.), Stauropus, En- 
dromis (Ochs.), Lasiocampa (Schrank). Staudinger in his Catalog places 
the genus immediately following Harpyra (0.) at the head of the Noto¬ 
dontidce thus: —Harpyra, 0. (Centra), Stauropus, Germar (Centra, Schrank 
Harpyra, 0.) In the Entomologist Synonymic List, Stauropus is placed 
with Dicranura, Latr. (Centra, Schrank) in a separate family from the 
Notodontidce —the Dicranitridce of Boisduval. The British Museum 
collection of the Notodontidce enumerates ten species, of which eight 
are represented. Fagi is the only European member of the genus, all 
the rest coming from the East—India, Ceylon, Java, China and Japan.” 
Messrs. Clark, Prout, Lewcock, Sykes, Battley and Simes took part in 
the discussion that followed, and a vote of thanks was unanimously 
accorded to Mr. Bayne for his paper. 
February 1th, 1893.—Exhibits :—Mr. Mera, a fine series of Hybernia 
