Journal of Proceedings. cxxxix
Mr. Meldola in seconding these proposals, suggested that they should
be taken en blue. The alterations and additions to the Rules had been
most carefully considered by the Council.
This suggestion was adopted, and on the President putting the resolu-
tions to the meeting they were agreed to unanimously.
The Secretary also proposed that the Rules, as revised, should be
reprinted, and that a copy should be sent to each member of the Club.
Carried.
Consequent upon the establishment of Rule IT., Mr. Meldola and
Prof. Boulger became Permanent Vice-Presidents of the Club, and were
so nominated.
To fill the vacancies on the Council so created, the Secretary nomi-
nated, on behalf of the Council, the Rev. A. W. Rowe, M.A., F.G.S., and
Mr. J. C. Shenstone, F.R.M.S., as members of the Council until the next
Annual Meeting.
He also nominated, on the same authority, Mr. P. Copland (junr.), as
Har.. Assistant Librarian, during the year.
No further business was brought forward, and the meeting then
ended.
Saturday, March 28th, 1885. Ordinary Melting.
The fifty-seventh Ordinary Meeting of the Club was held at the
Loughton Public Hall, at 6.30, the President in the chair.
Mr. A. B. Coates, B.A., Mr. F. Challis, and Miss E. A. Willmott were
elected members.
Donations to the Library were announced, and thanks voted to the
donors.
Mr. Meldola made some observations upon Lord Walsingham's paper,
" On Some Probable Causes of a Tendency to Melanic Variation in
Lepidoptera of High Latitudes," a copy of which had been presented to
the library by the author. It had been generally supposed that the
white colouration of Arctic animals had been acquired for the purpose
of protection—to enable animals to hide among the snow or to approach
their prey unseen. But he (Mr. Meldola) had always felt some misgivings
as to the exclusive efficiency of this cause, although it must of course be
allowed to have some weight. Very early in the Club's history, when the
white colour of the stoat was brought forward by Mr. Christy,* he had ven-
tured to dissent from the view that this white colouration was acquired
solely for protection, and had suggested that it was quite as likely
to have been acquired for the purpose of climatic protection.
It was well-known to zoologists that most animals gave rise
to white variations ; therefore white animals would never be
wanting to start the process. In his researches connected with
* Miller Christy, in ' Trans. E. F. C.,' vol. i., p. 07, and ' Proceedings,' i., p. G.