1S07.] 109 



Roddies. 



Birmingham Entomologicai Society : February Vcith, 1897. — Mr. R. C. 

 Bradley in the Chair. 



Mr. Bradley showed an unusually large specimen of Cinibex st/Ivarum, from 

 Sutton. Mr. A. H. Martinean, bramble stems containing pupse of Aculeate 

 IJymenoptera, and explained how to collect them in this manner ; also Cocci of 

 cochineal, as imported ; also VespcB to show their position during hibernation ; 

 they hang on by their mandibles with their legs all di-awn up and their wings under 

 the body, the wings to some extent supporting the body. Mr. Or. W. Wynn, 

 varieties of Cerastis vaccinii and spadicea taken at sugar at Hanbury Park ; one of 

 vaccina had a pretty chestnut thorax with chestnut marginal bar and fringes and 

 some at the base of the fore-wings, the rest of the fore-wings being greyish, giving 

 the appearance of a chestnut insect with greyish bars. Mr. Fountain, local bred 

 Nyssia hispidaria. Mr. C. J. Wainwright, rare Diptera, including Orthoneura 

 brevicornis, a pair from Sutton ; Chrysogaster virescens, females, from Sutton ; and 

 Ckeilosia Bergenstammi. 



Ilarch loth, 1897.— Mr. CI. T. Bethune-Baker, President, in the Chair. 



Mr. R. C. Bradley showed various Lepidoptera. Mr. A. H. Martineau, 

 Odynerus Icevipes, from Wyre Forest, a rare insect which he said seemed to be well 

 established at "Wyre, as Mr. Bradley had also taken specimens there on another 

 occasion. Also he showed Sphecodes niger ^ . Mr. Bethune-Baker showed two 

 drawers containing a portion of the Fapilionidcs, with the genus Farnassius and 

 allied genera. They included Liiehdorfia Puziloi, from Vladivostock, Sericinus 

 Telamon from Eastern Asia, Ismene Helios from Samarkand, etc., and a fine variety 

 of Doritis apollinus from Asia Minor. — Colbran J. Wainwright, Hon. Sec. 



Cambridge Entomological and Natural History Society : March 12th, 

 1897. — Dr. Sharp, President, in the Chair. 



Dr. Sharp exhibited, on behalf of Dr. Haviland, part of his magnificent 

 collection of Termites. His method of preparation consists in placing the various 

 forms of a species found in one nest, in glass tubes divided into compartments by 

 cotton wool, and filled with spirit. A photograph of a Termitarium of Termes 

 malayanuii, taken in situ after it had been sectioned, showed the royal cell in the 

 middle of the structure, and the chambers for growing fungi — this species being 

 a fungus grower — about the periphery. Portions of this nest and individuals taken 

 from it were exhibited. The nest is composed of thin, fragile laminae, of a pottery 

 like structure, but the royal cell, composed of this substance, is very thick and 

 solid. The fungus-chambers are not constructed of clay, but of comminuted 

 vegetable matter, subsequently cemented together. The specimens taken from 

 this nest included two queens and one king from the royal cell, large and small 

 soldiers, and large-headed and small-headed workers. — L. Doncastek, Hon. Sec. 



Lancashire and Cheshire Entomological Society : March 8th, 1897, 

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



Mr. F. Birch read a paper, entitled, " An Excursion to Cassiopeland, with a 



