vi Journal of Proceedings. 



exterminated by a man who collected it to supply nurserymen for graft- 

 ing purposes ; since that time he had seen specimens in Monk's Wood 

 on two occasions. 



The President said that Mr. Woodrow had just placed in his hands 

 a flint implement, the history of which was not known. It appeared 

 to be a very fine specimen of a flint arrow-head. 



Mr. T. R. Billups exhibited several rare and interesting species of 

 Colcoptera taken in Essex, and referred to in the President's Inaugural 

 Address. Amongst them was Spercheus emavginatus, which had become 

 so rare as to be considered extinct. Mr. Billups took many specimens 

 at West Ham during the years 1878-9. The female beetle carries the 

 egg-sac or pouch about until the young larvae are hatched. Also the 

 very minute but excessively rare Trkhopteryx ambigua {Matthews). Of 

 this only two specimens were known from Belgium until Mr. Billups 

 discovered it in rotten Hornbeams at Loughton. 



Mr. B. G. Cole exhibited a specimen of Sterrha sacraria, taken in the 

 meadows lying in the valley between Buckhurst Hill and Chigwell, on 

 the afternoon of August 17th, 1879 ; being the first recorded appearance 

 of the moth in Essex. He also exhibited a very beautiful aberration of 

 Cynthia cardiii (the " Painted-lady " butterfly) caught in his garden at 

 Buckhurst Hill last summer. 



A paper by Mr. John Gibbs, on "An Abnormal Form of Cardamine 

 pratensis," was read by the Secretary. (Transactions, Vol. I., p. 64). 



Mr. R. M. Christy communicated a note on the habits of the Common 

 Weasel and Stoat. (See Transactions, Vol. I., p. 66). 



The President pointed out that the most important point in Mr. 

 Christy's communication appeared to be the statement that an unusually 

 large number of white stoats had been seen during the past winter, an 

 observation which, if confirmed by naturalists in other parts of the 

 country, might be found to bear some relationship to the extreme cold 

 which had prevailed at that season. 



Mr. Letchford asked whether the severe winter temperature might 

 not have caused the animals to become white by acting directly on 

 the circulatory system in such a manner as to influence the colouring 

 matter of the fur ; and he called upon the President to supply more 

 details with reference to his statement that the white colouration might be 

 in some way connected with the Arctic character of the winter of 1879-80. 



Mr. W. Cole pointed out that no circulation of fluid could take place 

 in hair or fur, inasmuch as hair was not tubular, but was simply com- 

 posed of modified and elongated epidermal cells, with pigment diffused 

 throughout. 



The President was disposed to believe that the occurrence of an 

 unusually large number of white stoats after a particularly severe 

 winter might be due to reversion. It was well known that all animals 

 and birds inhabiting the Arctic regions had a tendency to be of a white 



