Mr. Meldola also exhibited some beetles of the genus Spermophagus and their cocoons, which had been found in a packet of seeds of Cassia neglecta sent from Brazil by Dr. Fritz Miiller to Mr. Darwin. The full-grown larvae had emerged from the seeds, leaving the latter in a damaged condition, and had spun the small cocoons from which the beetles had issued, these insects having reached this country alive. Mr. Meldola next exhibited the proboscis of a Sphinx-moth caught by the narrow tube-like nectary of a pale yellow Hedychium. This specimen had also been sent from Brazil by Dr. Fritz Müller, who states that Sphinx-moths are frequently found caught in this manner. Mr. Meldola, in conclusion, stated that he had been requested by Dr. Fritz Müller to ask the Members of the Entomological Society to aid him in his microscopical examination of the scent-producing organs of Lepidoptera by sending to him, addressed to Blumenau, Santa Catharina, Brazil, wings of butterflies, especially of such species as are not found in that country, the names of the insects in all cases to be given.
Sir Sidney Saunders communicated some notes by M. Lichtenstein, "On Phylloxera vastatrix and other Plant-lice," giving conclusions derived from ten years' breeding of large numbers of root- and leaf-lice.
The Secretary read a paper communicated by Dr. Fritz Müller, entitled "Notes on Brazilian Entomology," in which the author gave the results of his observations on the odours emitted by butterflies and moths, as well as facts bearing on various other subjects more or less connected with the theory of Evolution.
Mr. Meldola, in illustration of the foregoing paper, exhibited the wings of Antirrhæa Archæa, showing the "scent-fans" sent over from Brazil by the author of the paper, and likewise a specimen of Mycalesis Drusia, Cram., captured by himself in the Nicobar Islands in 1875, and displaying the "scent-fans" of the hind-wings in a very conspicuous manner.
The President remarked that when collecting on the Amazons he had often observed the strong odour of vanilla emitted by certain butterflies. Without a more complete examination of the evidence, however, he was not prepared to admit that the tufts of hair or manes on the wings, &c, of butterflies were the scent-secreting organs.
Mr. Wood-Mason stated that no exception could be taken to Dr. Muller's view from a morphological standpoint, since the hairs, which are modified scales, are in communication with the fluids contained in the tissues of the wing, and thus might easily secrete odours.
With reference to the odours emitted by other insects, Mr. M'Lachlan remarked that when in Sydney he had found, in the bush round that town, a cockroach which gave out a most powerful smell. He also referred to the well-known odour of Chrysopa, which is emitted by two or three British species of the genus. No special scent-secreting organ has, however, as yet been detected in these insects.
