fourth males exhibited. With regard to these two, Mr. Weir remarked that it was well known that a melanic variety of the female of Paphia known as Valezina was observed every year in the New Forest, and it appeared to him that if he carefully examined a sufficient number of males he might find some which, although not strictly Valezina, yet showed a tendency to melanism. After examining a large number, he found two males much darker than usual ; the ground colour of the wings was redder, and the four enlarged nervures were very much more deeply edged with black. He was of opinion that these were potentially males of Valezina, and that from such males the female of that dark variety would be more likely to originate than from a male of the ordinary colour. The fifth, specimen was a true Valezina, and he remarked that this year Argynnis Paphia was unusually scarce, yet the proportion of Valezina was much greater than usual ; certainly not less than ten per cent, of the females were so coloured, the usual proportion not being greater than about one per cent. He had himself captured eleven Valezina, and had seen three others, and he had not altogether seen one hundred and forty females, if so many. Mr. Weir was confident that the melanism extended to a great extent over the whole of a brood, as eight of those taken were found within a few yards of each other ; and in another spot he and his friends had captured fourteen within a short distance of each other ; at the same time none were seen in other woods where the species was common. It might perhaps be argued that the melanic variety was confined to particular woods, but such did not appear to be the case, as in spots where he and his friends had seen Valezina in former years none were to be found this year. The female of Argynnis Paphia when startled usually flies up into a neighbouring tree, and does not wander about, as does the male. He had seen a female in the act of oviposition, and each egg was laid singly low down in the moss-covered stem of the oak ; but as far as he was able to judge, all the eggs were deposited within a few yards of each other.
The President remarked that some seasons were probably more favourable than others for the production of dark Paphias, still the dark forms might make a new subspecies.
Mr. J. Wood-Mason read a paper "On the Difference between the form of the Antennas in the Males of Idolomorpha and other Genera of Empusidæ, a Subfamily of Mantidæ."
Mr. Dunning read a paper "On the Genus Acentropus."
Papers were also contributed by Mr. Butler, "Descriptions of several new Species of Myriopoda of the genera Sphærotherium and Zephronia," and by Mr. Baly, "Descriptions of new Genera and Species of South American Eumolpidæ, chiefly from the Amazon Region."
Part II. of the ' Transactions' for 1878 was on the table.
