x;xii

found the Asilid larva in the cell with a partially destroyed and still fresh Xylocopid larva.

It was also significant that Dr. H. Brauns had found the larvae of H . nigripennis Wied., tunnelling in dry wood containing the nests of its inodel X . mffra L., a t Willowmore, Cape Colony (F. Hermann in Zeitschr. f . I-Iym. u. Dipt., 1907, p. 71, where, however, the Asilid is erroneously named H . marshalli Aust.) ; and that Dr. S. A. Neave had recorded the presence ol the larvae of H . consinzilis Wood, “ in tlic sanio tree-trunk as a colony of the model Xylocopa nigrita [F.],” a t Mlanje, Nyasaland (Proc. Ent. SOC., 1914, p. xxxvi). Dr. Brauns had not found any indication that the Hyperechia larvae attacked the Xylocopa, but he had very kindly sent a supply of the former in spirit, and sections of some of these, prepared by Dr. Eltringham and examined by Dr. H. Pixel1 Goodrich, supplied evidence that the food was of an animal and not a vegetable nature. It was hoped to bring forward in t,lie near future a detailed account of this investigation illustrated by a plate reproducing Dr. van Someren’s drawing of the Hyperechia larvae and pupae and their tunnels. In the mean- time it was right that so important a discovery in the bionomics of the Asilidae should be announced forthwith.

Wednesday, March 19th, 1924. Mr. H. WILLOUGHBY-ELLIS, Vice-president, in the Chair.

Election of Fellows. The following were elected Fellows of the Society:-

Mr. W. H. EDWARDS, 59, Leinster Square, Ba,yswater, W. 2 ; Mr. J. H. GRANT, Cole Dale View, Coleshill Road, W u d End, Birmingham; Major R. W. G. HINGSTON, I.M.S., c/o Lloyds Bank, Ltd., Bombay; Miss E. M. RALFS, Greenfield, Redhill, Surrey; Mr. 0. W. RICHARDS, 70, Belsize Park Ga;dens, N.W. 3 ; HEM SINGH PRUTHI, Zoological Laboratory, Univer- sity of Cambridge ; Professor TEISO ESAICI, Entomological Laboratory, College of Agriculture, Kiushui Imperial Univer- dty, Fukuoka, Japan.

xxiii

Exhibits. BUTTERFLIES FROM MALAYA.-Dr. J. w. SCHARFF exhibited

and made remarks on a large collection of butterflies from Malaya.

THE POISONOUS PROPERTIES OF CENTIPEDES AND OTHER

ARAcHNIDs.-Miss L. E. CHEESEMAN exhibited a specimen of Scolopendra gigas, and discussed the functions of the poisons secreted by centipedes and certain spiders.

The properties of formic acid in this connection were dis- cussed by Mr. WILLOUGHBY-ELLIS, Dr. COCKAYNE, Dr. IMMS and others.

who illustrated his remarks with diagrams, described some stridulating organs in Erotylidae and Dytiscidae.

hibited some scarce Coleoptera taken by him last summer at Lough Neagh, N. Ireland, including Dyschirius obscurus, Bembidium argenteolum, Stmus palposu#s, Cryptophagus bima- culatus and Ceuthorrhynchus arcuatus ; aho Henoticus serratus taken in the Mourne Mountains, Co. Down.

SPECIFIC IDENTITY OF CATOPSILIA CROCALE CRAM. AND

c. POMONA FABR.-Dr. F. A. DIXEY exhibited a series of Catopsilia crocale Cram., C . pomona Pabr. and C. catilla Cram., and remarked on them as follows :-

There is an old question as to the relation of these forms to one another; and it cannot be said that agreement on the point has yet been reached, except with regard to pomona and catilla, which are generally allowed to be conspecific. But crocale and pomona are still treated by some authorities as distinct, and by others as specifically identical. In Trans. Ent. SOC. Lond., 1902, p. 190, I went into the question a t some length, with full references, and gave my own reasons for considering that no specific distinction could be drawn between them. These reasons were, britfly, that a complete transition by minute gradations existed between the extreme forms of crocale on one side and pomona on the other; that the two forms occurred together in the same flight; and that they had actually been taken paired. Some evidence was

STRIDULATING ORGAN8 I N COLEOPTERA.-&. G. J. ARROW,

RARE BEETLES FROM IRELAND.-Mr. 0. E. JANSON ex-

xxiv

forthcoming that in part of their range these diversities were correlated with the seasons; but it was quite clear, from the testimony of several observers, that in other parts no definite seasonal relation could be established. My conclusions on the whole subject, including the analogous case of C . pyranthe Linn. and C . gnoma Fabr., were as follows :-“ If we are to trust the observations that have been cited, we are led to the conclusion that in these Catopsilias, viz. C . pomona and C . pyranthe, we have to deal with two polymorphic species, each of wliicli has no doubt several geographical forms, and each of which shows, in most localities, a special tendency to cleavage into two well-contrasted types. These latter phases in each case are in some parts of the range of the species dependent on seasonal changes ; in other parts, however, they show no such connection.”

Mr. J. C. Moulton has lately sent to the Hope Department a large consignment of Catopsilias. These, he says, “ all came from a swarm of larvae found defoliating a tree overhanging the Director’s Office in the Botanic Gardens, Singapore ; and they all hatched out within two or three days. The pupae were collected from the office wall and roof, and kept in the Museum workshop.” I have made as careful a count of these specimens of Mr. Moulton’s as is possible while they are still in papers. Of these, 197 are crocnle varying from extreme crocale to transitional forms nearer to‘ cvocale than to poinonu; 8 females I should call about half-way forms; 4 males and 3 females are distinctly pomona. No crocnle were included. The presumption, I think, from this series is in favour of the specific identity of the two forms, as there is every reason to suppose that they emerged from larvae belonging to the same or similar batches. The very great preponderance of crocale also lends support to the view that in this instance, a t any rate, the form has been determined by the season. Fresh evidence on this point would be very welcome; and so far as I am aware, the crucial test of specific identity, viz. the breeding of one form from the other, has not yet been effected.

The series that I now exhibit illustrates very completely the transition by minimal gradations from extreme crocale to

The total number is 212.

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pomona and its extreme form catilla; both upper and under surfaces being shown. The specimens are all females; a gradation also exists in the males, though in this sex there is far less difference between the forms a t the crocak and posnona ends of the series.

Papers.

The following papers were read :- 1. " On Fluorescence in Lepidopterous Pigments," by Dr.

2. " On the Species of the Genus Cos?riophila," by Mr.

3. " On thq Dragonflies of Palestine," by Mr. K. J. MORTON. 4. " On the Metamorphosis of Deuterophlebia sp. (Diptera,

E. A. COCKAYNE.

W. H. TAMS.

Deuterophlebidae, Edw.)," by Miss PULIKOVSKI.

Wednesday, April 2nd, 1924.

Mr. E. E. GREEN, President, in thc Chair.

Obituary. The PRESIDENT announced the death of Dr. L. P~IRINGUEY,

Director of the South African Museum, Cape Town, and :t

Fellow of the Society.

Election, of Fellows. The following were elected Fellows of the Society:-

Mr. E. T. ELLIS, The Firs, Bridge Street, Wye, Kent; Mr. F. D. GOLDING, Moor Plantation, Ibadan, Nigeria ; Mr. W. E. JONES, M'fongosi, Zululand.

Exhibits. A NEW RACE OF AMAURIS LOBENGULA E.M.Sh., FROM S.E.

OF LAKE RUDOLPH, FLYING WITH A CORRESPONDING 9 F. OF

PAPILIO DARDANUS BRoU".-prof. POULTON communicated the following account of these very interesting new forms, received in a letter from Dr. V. G. L. van Someren.

'' Nairobi, September 12, 1923. " Now for a bit of news which has pleased me greatly. 1

can find no record of it in the little literature a t my dispos:ai :