lxxxii Journal of Proceedings.
Club was too local, inasmuch as the operations of the Society embraced
the whole county.
Before the commencement of the scientific business of the evening the
President alluded in feeling terms to the death of an honoured original
member of the Club, Sir Antonio Brady, F.G.S., who died on Monday
morning, December 12th, at his residence, Maryland Point, Stratford, at
the age of 70. He was sure he was but expressing the desire of all mem-
bers of the Society in suggesting that a letter of condolence should be
sent to the family expressive of their respectful sympathy, and their deep
sense of the loss geological science and the county generally had sustained
by the death of their distinguished member. He might add the Secretary
had suggested that the Club should publish in the 'Transactions' a short
memoir of Sir Antonio, accompanied, if possible, by a portrait. To thus
record departed worth was in his (the President's) opinion a very com-
mendable custom, and one which obtained in many Societies, especially
on the Continent, and he thought they might well initiate it in their own
Club.
The resolution was passed unanimously.
Mr. White exhibited an aberration in a specimen of Thecla Quercus
(the "purple hair-streak butterfly''). The specimen was a female, and
on the dark purplish brown disc of the fore wings two or three blotches
of an orange colour were clearly traceable, suggesting a relation of affinity
with another well-known butterfly of the same genus,—Thecla Betulae,—
the female of which has a large orange patch on the fore wings. Mr.
White thought that such instances of departure from type were well
worthy of careful attention, as by the aid which they afford in elucidating
the least apparent case's of affinity, and in determining more exactly the
"cousinship" of species, they always yield some evidence of value to the
evolutionist. He thought that from an examination of the specimen
they might fairly conclude that Thecla Quercus was a younger form of
butterfly than its sloe-feeding ally. He also exhibited a collection of
British species of Sesiidae or "Clear-wing" Moths, in order to show the
close general resemblance in many cases between these delicate creatures
and other insects which possess special means of defence, such as bees
and wasps.
In most of the species of the family the seales upon the wings, so
characteristic of the order Lepidoptera, are almost entirely absent, but
one of Mr. White's specimens of Sesia fuciformis which he had bred from
the pupa, still retained some seales. These scales generally fall off readily
when the insect flies. One section of the family (the genus Macroglossa
for example) has wings densely clothed with scales, and the President
pointed out the interest attaching to the specimen exhibited as showing
that the "clear-wing" character was a later development, tending to the
advantage of the creature in assimilating its appearance to the well-pro-
tected Hymenoptera, whilst its origin from a densely scaled form was
indicated by the transitory retention of scales in the recently perfected