1012J 47 



Entomologists met in the Caledonian Salon of the Holhorn Restaurant, by 

 invitation of "The President of the Entomoloo-ical Society and other 

 Entomologists," and subsequently sat down to the usual sujiper The Rev. F. D. 

 Morice, as Chairman, in explaining the ' raison d'etre ' of the gathering, expressed 

 the hope that it might be put upon a permanent basis under the name of the 

 " Verrall Supper," and asked those assembled to raise their glasses, standing, 

 and in silence, to the memory of the late holder of that name. The Rev. E. N. 

 Bloomfield, the oldest Entomologist present in so far at least as years go, 

 proposed the toast of the Hosts of the Evening, which was seconded by 

 Mr. W. E. Sharp, and responded to by Mr. J. E. Collin, who had acted as Hon. Sec. 

 and Treasurer. The toast of the Chairman having been duly lionoiu'ed, the rest 

 of the evening was devoted to friendly discussions on, and mutual assistance in, 

 the varied subjects in which those assembled happened to be interested. 



Societies. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society .- The Annual Meeting 

 was held in the Royal Institution, Colquit Street, Liverpool, on December ISth, 

 1911.— Mr. Wm. Webster in the Chair. 



As Mr. W. J. Lucas, the retiring Vice-President, was unable to be present 

 to read his address " On the present state of our knowledge of the pre-imaginal 

 stages of the British Dragon-flies," this was done by the Secretary. Mr. Lucas 

 dealt lucidly and in detail with the various methods of oviposition obtaining 

 in the Odonata, drawing pai-ticular attention to the habit Ischnura elegans 

 possesses of descending beneath the surface of the water for this purpose, and 

 to the two types of dragon-fly eggs : the elongate, cylindrical type such as is 

 met with in Mschna, and the more or less oval or pear-shaped type found in 

 Sympetrum and Libellula. The development of the nymphs, their form, habits, 

 and food ; the duration of tlie nymphal existence and other features of di-agon- 

 fly kinomics were then dealt with in an eqvially interesting and exhaiistive 

 manner, the fact being emphasized that although of recent years a considerable 

 amount of work had been done, and our knowledge of the life history of these 

 beautifvd creatures had been gi-eatly increased, there yet remained a vast 

 amount to be done in the future. The latter part of the address consisted of a 

 review of the progress of our knowledge of the earlier stages of di-agon-fly 

 existence, commencing with Thomas Mouffet's " Theatrum Insectorum," and 

 bringing the subject down to the present day. The addi-ess and the excellent 

 lantern slides with which it was illustrated were greatly appreciated by all 

 who were present. Mr. C. B. Williams exhibited a box of Lepidoptera collected 

 during the past season in various localities and including the following: — 

 Tseniocampa munda, Xylina socia, X. ornithopus, Xylocampa areola and Oporina 

 croceago, from the Conway Valley ; Argytmis selene, Carterocephalus palxmon 

 and Nemeobius lucina from Northamptonsliii-e ; Boarmia roburaria, Gnophria 

 rubricollis, Nemeophila russula, Macroglossa/uciformis, Lycsena xgon and Argynnis 

 euphrosyne from the New Forest. — Wm. Mansbridge, Hon. Secretary. 



