52 THE entomologist's record. 



bilberry respectively ; the genitalia of these were exhibited under the 

 microscope by Mr. F. N. Pierce, but no difference between them could 

 be observed, excepting the loss of certain fugitive hair-tufts by P. 

 (jeminana. 



At the same meeting, Mr. P. N. Pierce exhibited a series of the 

 " Carncades group " of the Agrotids, which includes our British Aiirotia 

 tritici, etc. Mr. Pierce stated that he had now been able to differentiate, 

 with perfect clearness and constancy by means of the genitalia, four 

 of the British species in the group, viz., Aijroti'^ cursoria, A. nigricans, 

 A. obelisca, and A. tritici (with aqidlina). He also showed the genitalia 

 of two specimens, and the wing-portions of one of them, which he 

 believed would ultimately prove either an unrecognised species, or the 

 " true aqnilinay Mr. Pierce illustrated his remarks by prejDarations 

 shown under the microscope. It does not appear in what manner 

 Mr. Pierce defines the " true atjuilina." If the genitalia support the 

 aquilina of Godart, as a form of A. tritici (as in Ih-itish Nnctuac and their 

 Varieties, vol. ii., pp. 54 et seq.), it is difficult to know what other 

 aquilina is meant. If this be a fifth species, it would be really interest- 

 ing to know whether it is referable to Godart's insect, or to Hiibner's 

 fictilia, the insect to which our less informed lepidopterists usually 

 refer when they speak of aquilina. One suspects, however, that these 

 are all really forms of A<irotis tritici, and that the possible fifth species 

 certainly has nothing to do with aquilina, Godt., or rJctilis, Hb., both 

 common insects in the east and south of England. We shall certainly 

 have cause to congratulate Mr. Pierce if he clearly determines another 

 species in this interesting group. 



SOCIETIES. 



City of London Entomological Society. — fanuanj 5th, 1909. — - 

 Exhibits : Cidaria reticulata — A series bred from Windermere pupae, 

 the imagines emerging between July 18th-31st, 1908, Mr. H. M. 

 Edelsten. Coenonympha tiphon var. rothliebii from Witherslack ; 

 Enodia hyperanthus ab. obsoleta, from various English and Scotch 

 localities; Coenonympha pamphilus, a series including specimens with- 

 out ocellated spots on the upperside of forewings, Dr. G. C. C. 

 Hodgson. Phryxus livornica taken at Torquay in June, 1906, by 

 Mr. H. Terry, Mr. A. W. Mera. Rumicia phl.eas, a specimen with 

 black hindwings, Darenth Wood, July, 1908, and another with straw- 

 coloured marginal band on left hindwing, Bexley, August, 1908, Mr. 

 V. E. Shaw. January Idtli, 1909. Notolophus gonostigma, pale ? , 

 Xylophasia polyodon (monoglypha), a melanic specimen taken at 

 Mucking in July, 1908. Cosmotriche potatoria ab. berolinensis J , 

 and ab. intermedia ^ , bred from Mucking larvas, the ab. berolinennis 

 emerging July 11th, 1908, Kev. C. R. N. Burrows. Calocampa exoleta, 

 and C. vetusta, varied series from Inches, N.B., 1908, Mr. Leach. 

 Abraxas grossulariata ab. varleyata, one of a second-brood of 31 

 specimens, of which seven were of this variety, the brood being raised 

 from typical parents, themselves the progeny of a cross between ab. 

 VARLEYATA and a typical specimen, Mr. L. W. Newman. Melanippe 

 fluctuata, with the central band carried uniformly across the whole 

 width of the upperwings, Bexley, June, 1908, Mr. V. E. Shaw. 

 Bupalas piniaria, a gynandromorphous specimen, J right side, ? 

 left side — wings and antennae — taken at Oxshott, June 6th, 1898, Mr. 

 H. B. Williams. 



