SOCIETIES. 267 



but lovely, insect. The letterpress is unfortunately equally weak, 

 especially the short odds and ends relating to the early stages. Thus 

 we read that the larva of Papilio machaon feeds upon fennel, wild 

 carrot, marsh milk-parsley, and other plants, " preferring the flowers." 

 The larvfe of the species of Arf/ijnuis, live chiefly on violet " in August 

 and September." and after hybernation in May and June. (Do larvfe 

 of any of our three British Argynnids — Arfiynnis adippe, A. af/laia, and 

 A. paphia, live " chiefly on violet in August and September?") The 

 larva of A. paphia is said to feed on dog-violet, "raspberry, nettle, and 

 guelder-rose;" the larva of Issoria lathonia to feed on violet, "borage, 

 sainfoin," etc. ; the larva of Melitaea aininia to feed on scabious, " ger- 

 mander speedwell, plantain," etc. ; the larva of M. cind'ia, on " hawk- 

 weed, plantain, germander-speedwell, and other low plants ; " the larva 

 of Polygonia c-alhwn, on " wild currant, raspberry, hop, hazel, honey- 

 suckle, nettle, thistle, sloe, elm, willow," etc. ; the larva of Neuieobim 

 lueina on primrose and " dock ; " the larva of Ciipido minimm on 

 " vetches and other low plants ; " that of Agn'ades thetis on " difterent 

 species of vetch," etc. ; of Hesperia malvae, on blackberry, raspberry, 

 " teazle and other plants," etc. ; Cyclopides palaemon on "plantain," 

 crested dog's tail grass, " and other low plants." Such statements as 

 these, which might have passed muster say 100 years ago, have surely 

 all been put right in this j^ear of grace 1909, and are not really worthy 

 of criticism by serious lepidopterists. 



There are many other items that are strange to us, e.g., the head of 

 Fyraiueis cardui pupa is said to have " the two projections usual in 

 Vanessa pupte ;" pi. vi., fig. 56, certainly does not show them, nor should 

 it, of course. Callophri/s rubi is " double-brooded," occurring in May and 

 August. The British " coppers " include " Li/caena dispar, HaAV., L. 

 rntila, Wernbg. (treated as a separate species from dispar, and noted 

 as having " long been extinct"), L. phlaeas, Linn., L. hippotho'e, Linn, 

 (noted as " apparently extinct "), L. virf/aiireae, Linn, (noted as " long 

 been extinct "); then salmacis and artaxerxes, are treated as species 

 separate from Aricia astrarche, and so on. We really should like to say 

 something that would recommend the book to entomologists, especially 

 as the publishers have evidently been at great pains and expense in its 

 production ; it will, no doubt, share honours with other books of a 

 similar type selected by nonentomological parents and friends, as a 

 gift to a child showing early predilections in an entomological direction, 

 but for entomologists per se,the book can have no real value whatever. 



SOCIETIES. 



The South London Entomological and Natural History Society. 

 — September 23/v/, 1909. — Ova of Lepidoptera. — Mr. Tonge exhibited 

 stereographs of the ova of Nonayria edelsteni, and of t'elastrina aryiohis. 

 Rare and variable lepidoptera. — Mr. Newman, series of Dianthoecia 

 conspersa, with black forms from Shetland ; D. carpopliaya, with white 

 forms from Eastbourne; Dicranura biatspis from Tilgate; L'lieidlia 

 ynaphalii from East Kent; Cidaria reticulata from Windermere; A'lyeria 

 andrenaeformis from North Kent, etc. Cymatophorid^, etc. — Mr. 

 Brown, a curiously-banded form of Cytimtophora Jinctnosa, and Mr. 

 Carr, examples of (J. fiiic.tiiosa and C. duplaris, and a series of Boarmia 

 repandata with ab. conrersaria from the Wye Valley. White aberra- 

 tion OF RuMiA cRATiEGATA, — Mr. Cowham, a white specimen of Ramia 



