118 THE entomologist's eecord. 



evening by searching the plant and then gently beating it into a net 

 Place larvae so obtained in a calico bag or band-box with a supply of 

 seed-heads, and they feed up on the unripe seed. It is better to collect 

 the pupje from these receptacles, as too often you have other lovers of 

 pupte confined with them, who will gladly make a meal off them. 



(g) Always carry a few small calico bags with you to collect the seed- 

 heads of different plants for larvae. Silene for DianthcBcicE. ; toad-flax 

 {Li/iaria vulgaris) for larva; o{ Eupithecia linariata ; flowers of foxglove 

 {Digitalis purpurea) iox E.pulchellata (especially if the flowers are partly 

 closed up by being spun together); seed-heads of nettle-leaved bell-flower 

 for E. ca/iipatiu/ata ; seeding flower-heads of Scaluosa arvensis and succisa 

 for larvae of Eupcecilia flaviciliana ; cowslip seed-heads for E. ciliella ; 

 and spun together tops of sallow-shoots for Peronea hastia?ia. 



{h) Search low plants on marsh ditches during August for larvae of 

 Arctia urtico', fond of sunning themselves ; willow herb and water bed- 

 straw for larvae of CIia;rocampa elpenor ; and white or yellow bedstraw 

 on dry banks, sand hills, etc., for larvae of C. porcellus and Macroglossa 

 steUatarnin ; and if in woods you notice the leaves of honeysuckle 

 eaten on the low trafling branches, turn them over for larva; of M. 

 fuiifor/nis. 



IgjOCIETIES. 



City of London Entomological and Natural History Society. 

 — June igth, 1890, Mr. J. A. Clark, F.E.S., President, in the chair. Mr. 

 Battley exhibited a growing plant of the Sundew, from the New Forest ; 

 also Alaa-oglossa fuciforinis and Bombyx rubi, from the same locality; 

 Messrs. Lusby and Harper, a fine selection of very variable specimens 

 of Abraxas grossulariata, the dark colour being predominant in the 

 whole ; Mr. Sampson, a heavily mottled imago of Venilia iiiaculata. 

 Messrs. Clark and Milton exhibited boxes of Coleoptera and Neurop- 

 tera — Mr. Milton giving a highly interesting account of the life-history 

 of the latter order. 



July T,rd, 1890, Mr. G. A. Lewcock in the chair. Mr. Lusby exhi- 

 hibited fine varieties of Syrichtiius alveolus, one specimen having the 

 white spots on the fore wing formed into a band, the hind wings black 

 with a single white blotch in the centre ; several other varieties were 

 also noticeable in the series ; Mr. Raine, male specimens of Liparis 

 dispar, with the dark markings very strongly defined and nearly black ; 

 also preserved larvae of Eiidromis versicolor, etc. ; Mr. Battley, a series 

 of Ephyra trilitiearia, from Epping Forest ; one specimen with a white 

 spot on the hind wing very clearly marked and outlined with a darker 

 tint than the ground colour of the wing ; Mr. Gurney, a very large 

 specimen of Phorodesma smaragdaria, bred that day from larvae found 

 on the Essex marshes last autumn ; Mr. Manley, two specimens of 

 Sphinx ligustri, the centre band on the body being quite black, the 

 wings suffused with the same tint ; Mr. Gates, full-fed larvae of Cerura 

 vi7iula , Mr. Bellamy, Tripluvna profiuba, with the band on hind 

 wings interrupted, and more resembling that of T. orbona. Mr. Simes 

 also exhibited a case of life-histories of various species of Lepidoptera. 



Coleoptera : — Mr. Cripps' box contained Melanotus rufipes, Polyopsia 



