48 'February, 1897. 



across the fore part of the wings. Mr. Martineau, a very fine plioto shde by Mr. 

 R. W. Chase, of larvse of Sphinx lignstri. Mr. Bethune-Baker, spiders taken by 

 Mr. W. H. Wilkinson in the Canaries and Madeira. — Colbrax J. Wainwbight, 

 Hon. Secretary. 



Lancashire and Cheshiee Entomological Society : December \Uh, 1896. 

 — S. J. Capper, Esq., F.L.S., F.E.S., President, in the Chair. 



A paper was read by Dr. J. Harold Bailey, entitled, " Notes on a day's Beetle 

 Collecting in Shropshire," in which he recounted the various species taken, and 

 stated it was a ground over which the late Charles Darwin had often worked for 

 Coleopterous insects. Mr. H. B. Prince, a paper, entitled, " Experiences in 

 Lepidoptera in 1896." The author, after referring to the general scarcity of 

 insects in 1896, especially in the autumn, drew attention to the controversy now 

 going on as to whether Lepidoptera were over collected to extermination, which 

 led to considerable discussion. Mr. Pierce stated that no one who had ever visited 

 the fen district and such places as Barnwell Wold could for a moment believe that 

 over collecting could account for the disappearance of Poltfommatus dispar or 

 Lyccena Arion. That Liverpool Entomologists were especially favourably situated 

 for noticing local species, and mentioned Nys.tia zonaria, which in some seasons 

 ■was so abundant that it was impossible to walk without treading on larvae at 

 each stride, every now and then had gradually disappeared entirely from a locality, 

 and would certainly have been lost had they not been re-introduced by Mr. Gregson 

 and others. Bomhyx trifolii was very similar, but efforts to re-establish Lycana 

 Arion and Orgyia dispar had entirely failed, even for one season, although the 

 latter had been tried many hundreds of times in different parts of the country. 

 The opinion of those present being that it was not man but other agencies that 

 accounted for certain species disappearing from Great Britain. Dr. Bailey exhibited 

 a large number of Coleoptera, the result of the day's collecting. Mr. Prince, 

 Lepidoptera to illustrate his paper. The President, a long series of Argynnis 

 Paphia and Melitaa Artemis. Mr. Pierce, Vanessa c-album and var. Mutchinsoni. 

 Mr. Webster, pieces of wood infested by Cossus ligniperda, fi'om a garden at 

 Huyton. — F. N. Pierce, Hon. Secretary, The Elms, Dingle, Liverpool. 



Entomological Society of London : Sixty-Fourth Annual Meeting, 

 January 20th, 1897- — Professor Eaphael Meldola, F.R.S., President, in the Chair. 



It was announced that the following gentlemen had been elected as Officers and 

 Council for the Session 1897-8 : — President, Mr. Roland Trimcn, F.R.S. ; Treasurer, 

 Mr. R. McLachlan, F.R.S. ; Secretaries, Messrs. W. F. H. Blandford, M.A., F.Z.S., 

 and F. Merrifield ; Librarian, Mr. G. C. Champion, F.Z.S. : and as other Members 

 of the Council, Sir G. F. Hampson, Bart., B.A., Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, M.A., 

 F.L S., and Messrs. H. Goss, F.L.S., M. Jacoby, O. Salvin, F.R.S., J. W. Tutt, and 

 G. H. Verrall. Professor Meldola delivered an Address. A vote of thanks to the 

 retiring President was moved by Lord Walsingham and seconded by Mr. Salvin, and 

 carried ; Prof. Meldola replied. A vote of thanks to the other OfTicers was moved 

 by Prof. Poulton, seconded by Mr. Trimen, and carried. Messrs. McLachlan and 

 Goss replied. 



