THE SOUTH LONDON NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY EXHIBITION. 261 



The Annual Exhibition of Varieties held by the South London 



Entomological and Natural History Society at their rooms, 



Hibernia Chambers, London Bridge, on November 26th. 



By Hy. J. TUKNEE, F.E.S. 



The South London Society has for many years past been one of 

 the most virile associations of entomologists in the country. It holds 

 its meetings twice per month and very rarely does it happen that the 

 attendance is less'than the average of over 30 members per meeting. 

 One of the most attractive meetings of the autumn for many years 

 has been that held on the fourth Thursday in November, when mem- 

 bers and friends unite to bring together all that is new and interesting 

 in their captures and studies. The present meeting was no exception to 

 previous ones, as those who were present warmly testify. There were 

 more than a hundred members and friends and some forty had brought 

 exhibits. With such a wealth of treasures it is almost invidious to 

 select for special attention, but possibly the appended very full report 

 will give sufficient for our readers to select aught they particularly 

 take interest in. 



At the same time we would like to remind our readers that this 

 Society possesses very complete collections for reference. The only 

 collection of European butterflies in London, which is accessible for 

 reference, is in its possession. Not even in South Kensington Museum 

 are the European Rhopalocera kept separate and so readily consultable. 

 Recently the British Lepidoptera series have been amplified by the 

 Dawson donations, Macro- and Micro-Lepidoptera, and are practically 

 complete. There is a capital collection of Coleoptera which Mr. West, 

 the Hon. Curator for so many years past, has made every endeavour to 

 complete and perfect. The Collections of Hemiptera (Heteroptera and 

 Homoptera), as well as of Odonata and Neuroptera, are becoming more 

 and more complete each year, while there are small collections of 

 British Bees, British Diptera, and Canadian Lepidoptera. The Society 

 has a large and practically complete Herbarium in the bequest of the 

 late Mr. Tugwell, and more recently a valuable collection of Mosses 

 has been obtained through the kindness of the present occupant of the 

 chair, Mr. B. H. Smith, B.A., F.E.S. Added to the above advantages 

 which membership of this Society brings is the opportunity to consult 

 the valuable and extensive reference library which is constantly being 

 increased by the donation of books and magazines. 



Mr. Robert Adkin exhibited long series of A(/riades thetis [ = Lycaena 

 bellar(jt(s) chiefly from the Sussex South Downs and the Kent and 

 Surrey North Downs. Among the males there were specimens, having 

 a row of distinct black spots within the margin of the hindwings, 

 examples of the so-called " green " form and others of the form that 

 had been variously called "lilac," "lead-colour," "French grey " and 

 " black," and which it had been asserted by one and another was a 

 hybrid between bellar(jus and coridon and bellari/its and icarim, but he 

 was aware of no evidence to support these suggestions and he thought 

 it far more likely that if the question were thoroughly worked out a 

 solution, both in this and the " green " form would be found in some 

 constitutional character. The females showed muc] 



December 15th, 1914. 



