CURRENT NOTES. 191 



Whittaker, a most useful compilation, but the addition only extends to 

 4 pages. Added to this, we note that, at the Annual Meeting, there was 

 no Presidential or Vice-Presidential address, a sad omission, considering 

 that the Society boasts a list of Vice-Presidents twice as great as that 

 of the Entomological Society of London, and from one member of 

 which at least some pronouncement on the entomological position, 

 locally or generally, might have been fairly expected. 



The Carlisle Natural History is to be congratulated on the issue of 

 the first part of its Transactions, and deserves praise not only 

 for the excellence of the contents, but for the first-class stjde 

 and get-up of the part as a whole, the printing being exceptionally 

 well done. The character of the papers is exceptionally good, and, if 

 maintained, the Transactions will hold their own against the publica- 

 tions of the very best natural history societies. Two papers especially 

 claim our attention, (1) " The Butterflies of Cumberland," 

 by G. B. Eoutledge, F.E.S. (2) "The Coleoptera of Cumberland," 

 pt. i., by F. H. Day, F.E.S. As may be expected, the}^ are 

 both excellent, and written and compiled with a full knowledge of 

 the county fauna. The authorities are given in every case, and in 

 critical cases full reference to the literature. To say more wovild be 

 superfluous. We shall look forward with interest to the continuation 

 of both these lists. The Anthrocerids, Cochlidids, Lachneids, Attacids, 

 and Sphingids, worked out in detail, would make another excellent 

 group (especially if the geographical side of the variation could be 

 dealt with), but no doubt Mr. Eoutledge has already got the matter 

 well in hand. 



The Rev. C. R. N. Burrows, The Vicarage, Mucking, Essex, who is 

 at work on the genitalia of the Geometrids, asks for ^ s of Cleora 

 anrfularia, Asthena sylvata, Venusia cainbrica, Acidalia perocliraria, A. 

 holosericata, A. circellata, A. straininata, A. finnata, Fidonia liiiiban'a, 

 Scoria lineata, Aplasia ononaria, and Lythria jnirpnraria for examina- 

 tion, specimens. British or Continental, condition of no importance, so 

 long as the specimens are quite correctlj^ named, and have not been 

 attacked by mites. Perhaps some of our generous collectors will 

 oblige. Mr. Burrows has now genitalia of the first half of the British 

 species mounted except for these which he would like to complete if he 

 can get the requisite material. 



We have just received " The Plume-Moths of Ceylon, pt. i.. The 

 Pterophoridfe," a reprint from Spolia Zeylanica, vi., pt. xxi., March, 

 1909, by T. Bainbrigge-Fletcher, R.N., F.E.S. Considering the state 

 of our ignorance of exotic plumes this paper is really a very remark- 

 able one, and forms, not only an excellent summary of what is known 

 of the " plumes " of Ceylon, but also a basis on which a knowledge of 

 our oriental plumes might very readily be built. In most cases, as 

 may be expected, the only stage of the insect known is the imaginal, 

 but the author has given us a great amount of incidental information 

 on the early stages of some of the species from his own observation. 

 These, however, are, in most cases, essentially facts of oecology, and 

 not structural, as may readily be premised, when one considers the 

 difficulties under which the author carries on his observations, when 

 on duty on board ship. This explains fully why the descriptions of 

 the larvae and pupfe are often wanting in useful scientific structural 

 details, or even when noted as captured and the imagines bred, not 

 described at all. 



